COUNSEL  TO 
NEW  MISSIONARIES 


From  Older  Missionaries  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church 


Published  by  the 

Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 
156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City 

1917 


I 


COUNSEL  TO 
NEW  MISSIONARIES 

From  Older  Missionaries  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church 


Published  by  the 

Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 
156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City 

1917 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2018  with  funding  from 
Columbia  University  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/counseltonewmissOOpres 


PREFACE 


This  is  a  book  not  of  missionary  policy  but  of 
personal  counsel.  All  of  its  chapters  were  written 
by  experienced  missionaries.  There  is  some  inevi¬ 
table  duplication,  but  very  little.  The  various 
chapters  deal  in  the  main  with  distinct  questions 
and  represent  such  a  wide  range  of  experience  that 
even  where  the  same  questions  are  considered,  it 
is  with  fresh  suggestiveness.  Each  chapter  is 
shaped,  of  course,  by  the  conditions  of  the  field 
in  which  its  writer  has  worked,  but  this  enriches 
the  value  of  the  whole. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  present  an  exhaus¬ 
tive  book  of  counsel,  but  the  Board  has  desired  to 
place  at  the  disposal  of  new  missionaries  some  of 
the  invaluable  experience  of  men  and  women  who 
know  thoroughly  whereof  they  speak,  with  the 
hope  and  prayer  that  the  young  men  and  women 
now  going  out  to  the  field  may  be  helped  in  this 
way  to  be  better,  happier  and  more  fruitful  serv¬ 
ants  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 


■ 


- 


' 


CONTENTS 


I.  The  Consciousness  of  Divine  Vocation, 
by  the  Rev.  Daniel  McGilvary,  D.  />., 

of  Laos  .  7 

II.  Tiie  Relation  of  the  Missionary  to  iiis 
Fellow- workers,  by  the  Rev.  J.  J. 
Lucas,  D.  ]).,  of  India .  17 

III.  Missionaries  and  the  Language,  by  the 
Rev.  Calvin  IF.  Maleev,  D.  D.,  of  China. 


IV.  Tiie  Spirit  and  Methods  of  Evangeliza¬ 

tion,  by  the  Rev.  Hunter  Corbett,  D.  /)., 
of  China .  37 

V.  Pre-requisites  and  Principles  of  Evan¬ 

gelization,  by  the  Rev.  S.  A.  Moffett . 
I).  D.,  of  Korea .  GO 

VI.  The  Home  Life  of  Missionaries,  by  Mrs. 

Helen  S.  C.  Kevins,  of  China .  70 

VII.  Some  Counsel  to  Women  Teachers,  by 
Miss  Hattie  V.  Noyes,  of  China....  89 

VIII.  Observations  upon  Influences  affecting 
the  Health  and  Efficiency  of  Mis¬ 
sionary  Laborers,  by  George  IF.  Holmes, 
M.  D.,  formerly  of  Persia .  98 

IX.  Medical  Advice  to  New  Missionaries,  by 

IF.  •/.  Wanless,  M.  /).,  of  India .  110 

X.  Special 'Medical  Counsel  to  Women  Mis¬ 

sionaries,  by  Bertha  Caldtcell,  M.  D., 
formerly  of  India .  118 

XI.  Sundry  Practical  Suggestions,  by  the  Rev . 
H.  II.  Jessup,  I).  I).,  LL.l).,  of  Syria. 
.  124 


I 


THE  CONSCIOUSNESS  OF  DIVINE 
VOCATION 

liy  the  Rev.  Daniel  McGilvary,  D.D-,  of  Laos 

S0ME  words  of  counsel  for  our  new  missiona¬ 
ries!”  A  young  man  might  give  them  with 
confidence.  When  he  lias  passed  his  seventy-fifth 
year,  lie  will  do  it  with  diffidence.  The  most  start¬ 
ling  chapter  would  probably  be  his  own  blunders 
and  mistakes,  but  probably  he  might  bury  them. 
But  all  the  same  I  will  draw  as  largely  from  my 
own  failings  and  defects  as  from  my  successes, 
more  from  my  ideals  than  from  past  attainments. 

But,  first  of  all,  let  me  give  you  a  hearty  wel¬ 
come,  and  most  sincerely  congratulate  you  on  your 
choice  of  your  life  work. 

My  first  advice  would  be,  like  the  Great  Apostle 
to  the  Gentiles,  “Magnify  your  office !” 

We  shall  presume  that  your  choice  has  been 
made  after  deep  heart-searchings,  and  earnest 
prayer,  and  against  strong  temptation  to  other 
lines  and  fields  of  work.  Such  victories,  when 
gained,  are  likely  to  be  permanent.  They  give 
stronger  assurance  of  a  divine  call.  You  may  not 
be  many  years  in  most  fields,  before  the  enemy  will 
suggest  that  you  missed  your  calling.  Well  will 
it  be  for  you  if,  in  some  desponding  moments,  you 
be  not  tempted  to  wonder  if,  after  all,  you  might 
not  be  doing  more  good  if  preaching  to  your  own 
people  in  your  own  tongue  than  in  spending  use- 

7 


C  o  u  n  set  to  Ar  e  tv  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  vies 


less  years  in  acquiring  an  uncouth  and  difficult 
language,  to  preach  doctrines  distasteful  to  those 
who  do  not  thank  you  for  coming.  No  Christian, 
much  less  a  Christian  missionary,  can  live  on  past 
experiences,  but  at  times  it  may  be  both  comfort¬ 
able  and  wise  to  fall  back  on  them.  The  victory 
will  be  well  nigh  gained  if  you  can  confidently 
assert,  as  Bishop  Thoburn  could  to  his  sister,  when 
tempted  not  to  return  to  his  field  in  India,  “Yes, 
I  was  never  more  sure  of  anything  than  of  my  call 
to  India.” 

You  will  find,  my  brother  and  sister,  that  it  is 
a  heart  experience  that  you  will  need  to  support 
you  in  a  life  work  on  a  foreign  field.  You  do  not 
even  have  the  romance  of  a  four  months’  voyage, 
in  a  small  brig,  with  poor  accommodations  and  a 
cross  captain,  as  many  of  your  predecessors  had. 
True,  there  are  yet  to  be  found  some  unevangelized 
regions  where  you  may  still  be  many  months  with- 
out  hearing  a  word  from  loved  ones  at  home. 
Should  you  be  called  to  be  a  pioneer  in  such  fields, 
let  me  assure  you  that  God’s  gracious  promises  and 
presence  will  not  fail  you.  But  more  probably  it 
will  be  your  lot  to  work  in  fields  where  the  novelty 
has  worn  off,  to  do  the  humble  work  of  reconciling 
husbands  and  wives,  or  healing  dissensions  among 
Christians, — a  duty,  alas!  not  unknown  in  Chris¬ 
tian  lands.  I  pray  you  to  bear  with  such  weak¬ 
nesses,  and  be  not  too  much  discouraged,  if  needed 
among  those  just  emerging  from  the  darkness  and 
breaking  the  chains  of  hereditary  weaknesses 
entailed  by  centuries  of  ignorance  and  supersti¬ 
tion.  Some  of  you  are  physicians,  and  you  will 
not  be  surprised  to  find  the  binding  of  heathen 
wounds  and  ulcers  not  less  revolting  to  sensitive 


8 


G  o  ii  n  set  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


natures  than  Christian  wounds.  You  have  already 
learned  that  the  Master  was  sent  to  heal  the  broken 
limbs  as  well  as  the  broken-hearted.  Only  ease  the 
bodily  pains,  and  you  can  preach  any  doctrine  you 
please  to  the  sufferer. 

I  see  before  me  young  women  from  refined  homes 
and  surroundings,  luxuriously  supplied  with  all  that 
ministers  to  taste  and  comfort.  Knowing,  as  you 
cannot  yet  know,  the  opening  fields  and  the  great 
work  awaiting  you,  we  bid  you  a  hearty  welcome. 
You  may  have  your  sensibilities  tried  in  visiting, 
as  I  trust  you  will,  among  the  homes  of  poverty 
and  want.  You  will  find,  as  the  Master  did  before 
you,  that  it  was  the  common  people  who  heard 
Him  gladly,  and  that  it  will  be  from  among  them 
that  your  converts  will  largely  come.  When  Chris¬ 
tianity  has  not  yet  become  popular,  you  will  not 
be  surprised  that  not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble 
are  called.  Rut  I  remember  that  the  history  of 
Christian  missions  abounds  with  numerous  exam¬ 
ples  of  many  from  the  highest  stations  in  life, 
who  have  adorned  the  rank  from  which  they  came, 
by  the  most  self-denying  service  on  foreign  fields, 
as  well  as  in  home  lands.  The  stoop  from  the 
throne  above  to  the  manger  in  the  stable  puts  to 
shame  every  other  sacrifice  possible  or  conceivable. 
And  as  with  the  Master  so  with  the  servants,  when 
either  heaven  or  home  has  been  left  for  saving  the 
lost,  what  matters  it,  whether  we  find  them  in  huts 
or  in  palaces?  With  reverence  be  it  said,  even 
Christ  Himself  was  never  so  great  as  in  His  lowest 
humiliation.  “ Therefore  doth  my  Father  love  me, 
because  I  lay  down  my  life  for  the  sheep.”  It  is 
the  Lamb  that  was  slain  that  is  worthy  of  all  glory 
and  honor,  dominion  and  power.  The  Master  was 

9 


Counsel  to  New  Mi s s i o n a  vies 


loved  for  His  sacrifice.  The  servant  is  honored  in 
following  His  steps.  And  I  intensely  realize  that 
no  other  advice  will  be  of  any  avail,  unless  yon 
have  brought  to  your  calling  an  exalted  idea  of 
its  dignity  and  responsibility.  If  you  have,  not 
much  more  advice  will  be  needed.  It  can  be  no  per¬ 
version  of  Scripture  to  exhort  you,  to  give  all  dili¬ 
gence  to  make  your  calling  and  election  sure. 

It  can  have  none  other  than  a  salutary  effect  on 
you,  always  to  remember  that  you  are  Christ’s 
chosen  ambassadors  to  preach  unto  the  nations 
the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ,  in  posts  of  great¬ 
est  difficulty,  sometimes  of  danger,  always  of 
responsibility.  Of  all  the  foolish  attempts  ever 
made,  none  so  futile  as  the  attempt  to  overthrow 
the  kingdom  of  the  strong  man  armed,  in  his  own 
stronghold,  by  any  power  short  of  divine.  But 
he  was  seen  as  lightning  falling  from  heaven.  The 
cross  has  despoiled  principalities  and  powers,  and 
made  a  show  of  them  openly.  By  an  eternal  decree 
in  the  counsel  of  eternity,  the  nations  have  been 
given  to  the  Son  for  an  inheritance  and  the  utter¬ 
most  parts  of  the  earth  for  a  possession.  He  shall 
see  of  the  travail  of  His  soul  and  shall  be  satisfied. 
That  is  the  divine  origin,  the  divine  authority  and 
the  divine  assurance  of  success  in  the  work  in 
which  the  Church  is  engaged,  and  in  the  labor  of 
which  and  to  the  honor  of  which  he  is  calling  you. 
So,  of  all  enterprises,  yours  is  the  most  certain.  It 
matters  not  to  what  race  you  go,  or  what  its  degree 
of  civilization  or  degradation.  Has  not  history 
wonderfully  confirmed  the  promise?  In  what  race 
of  people,  language  or  clime  has  a  missionary  spent 
a  devoted  life  in  vain?  So  long  and  so  surely  as 
you  rely  on  the  word  and  promise  and  oath  of  God, 

10 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


there  can  be  no  failure.  Anything  else  will  prove 
a  refuge  of  straw.  I  have  often  wondered  what 
can  sustain  a  missionary  other  than  this  eternal 
counsel  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure ,  that  Christ 
has  a  people  given  to  Him  in  every  land;  that,  all 
that  hath  been  given  to  Him  shall  come  to  Him ; 
and  that  him  that  cometh,  He  will  in  no  wise  cast 
out.  Will  that  assurance  cut  your  nerve  or 
strengthen  it?  Work  confidently  because  God 
works,  because  sure  of  success  and  sure  of  a 
reward. 

Nothing  could  make  the  external  call  stronger. 
It,  comes  from  many  more  millions  of  men  to-day 
than  when  first  heard  in  Troas.  Come  over  and 
help  us,  from  arctic  snows  and  tropical  plains.  The 
inward-  call  is  one  that  you  must  settle  yourself 
in  your  closet  with  your  open  Bible,  the  Divine 
Command,  and  a  lost  world  before  you. 

Presuming  that  you  have  settled  your  call,  and 
that  you  will  continue  to  give  all  diligence  to  make 
it  sure,  and  that  you  have  diligently  prepared  your¬ 
self  for  it,  as  far  as  your  literary  and  theological 
course  can  prepare  you,  may  I  still  insist  on  one 
other  preparation  above  all  others?  And  remem¬ 
ber  again  that  you  cannot  have  too  much  of  secular 
learning,  and  never  was  there  a  subject  to  which 
it  was  so  well  applied  as  in  making  the  cross  of 
Christ  plain  even  to  the  ignorant  savage.  Angelic 
tongues  cannot  do  it  justice.  But  remember  still, 
my  brother,  that  however  gifted  you  may  be  in 
speech,  how  manifold  soever  your  stores  of  learn¬ 
ing,  yet  there  is  one  other  more  important  still. 
Even  the  divine  Teacher  Himself  did  not  enter  on 
His  work  till  He  was  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 
“For  their  sakes  I  sanctify  myself,  that  they  also 

11 


C o  u  n  s  e  l  to  N  e w  M  i  s s  i  o  n a r  i  e s 


may  be  sanctified  through  the  truth.”  And,  if  a 
long  service  in  the  work  on  which  you  are  entering, 
gives  me  any  right  to  offer  advice,  here  you  have  it 
in  a  nutshell,  first,  middle  and  last,  Go  as  the 
Master  did  in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  And 
if  I  were  assured  that  this  one  counsel  was  heeded, 
I  might  go  no  further.  The  adversary  may  not 
quail  before  your  logic;  he  quails  before  your 
prayers  when  “he  sees  the  weakest  saint  upon  his 
knees.”  He  would  doubtless  say  to  the  godless  mis¬ 
sionary,  “Jesus  I  know  and  Paul  I  know,  but  who 
are  you?” 

In  the  request  for  this  paper  some  advice  drawn 
from  experience  in  long-protracted  touring  was 
hinted  at.  But  then  circumstances  are  so  varied 
in  different  fields  that  what  would  apply  to  one 
would  not  be  appropriate  to  another.  My  expe¬ 
rience  in  tropical  forests,  over  mountains,  on  ele¬ 
phants,  or  on  foot,  would  be  of  no  service  to  Brother 
Egerton  Young,  on  his  dog-cart  sledges,  among  the 
Esquimaux  of  Baffin’s  Bay  or  the  frozen  regions 
of  arctic  snow  and  ice.  But  the  consecration  that 
will  sustain  the  Moravian  missionary  in  Green¬ 
land,  will  sustain  you  in  Africa,  Turkey,  China, 
or  Laos.  And  it  is  alike  needed  in  all.  You  know 
that  it  is  characteristic  of  the  Saviour’s  teaching, 
that  He  laid  down  great  principles  that  are  to  guide 
our  lives,  as  distinguished  from  Mohammed  or 
Buddha  and  all  ethical  teachers  who  gave  specific 
rules  ad  nauseam.  In  this  He  showed  his  omnis¬ 
cience.  Room  is  left  for  the  application  of  these 
rules,  to  meet  every  individual  case  in  every  con¬ 
dition  and  station  in  life.  Had  He  taken  a  differ¬ 
ent  course,  and  descended  to  particulars,  the  field 
would  have  been  boundless  and  the  task  hopeless. 

12 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


But  I  would  like  to  say  a  few  words  on  evange¬ 
listic  tours  before  closing.  Whether  taken  in  boats, 
dog-carts,  or  on  elephants,  be  sure  to  take  them. 
Whether  your  work  be  in  large  emporiums,  trans¬ 
lating  the  Scriptures  or  teaching,  it  will  be  to  the 
advantage  of  any  one  to  spend  two  months  of  the 
year  in  the  great  country,  its  towns  and  villages, 
visiting,  if  possible,  in  the  homes  of  the  people. 
I  believe  you  will  return  better  prepared  for  any 
kind  of  work.  Rusticating  will  be  a  change  from 
the  strain  of  other  work.  It  may  save  the  neces¬ 
sity  for  a  home  trip. 

In  large  cities  you  see  the  conventional  man 
dressed  up  as  he  wishes  to  appear  to  one  whom  he 
is  waiting  to  fleece  or  outwit  in  a  bargain. 
Go  to  the  country  to  see  nature — man  as  he  is. 
There,  too,  you  will  hear  the  language  and  idioms 
spoken  by  the  great  body  of  the  people  who  must 
use  your  translations.  Whether  you  adopt  them 
or  not,  you  will  be  a  better  translator  thereby. 
For  the  best  work  in  translating  one  must  be  versed 
in  the  language  both  of  the  people  and  of  the  books. 
And,  last  but  not  least,  in  all  probability  it  is  there 
that  yon  will  find  most  of  God’s  chosen  people,  his 
precious  jewels.  Jerusalem  was  the  capital,  but  it 
was  Galilee  where  our  Lord  spent  most  of  His  time 
and  from  which  He  gathered  most  of  His  disciples. 
If  you  will  excuse  a  personal  reference,  Ohiengmai, 
the  Laos  capital,  is  neither  a  very  large  nor,  com¬ 
paratively,  a  very  wicked  city,  and  altogether,  in 
thirty-seven  years,  I  have  spent  months  and  years 
in  laboring  in  it.  It  was  necessary  labor  and,  from 
some  standpoints,  not  unsuccessful.  Yet,  of  the  more 
than  fifteen  hundred  baptized  members  of  the  First 
Church  I  can  almost  count  on  the  fingers  of  my  two 


13 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  vies 

hands  the  Christians  residing  in  the  limits  of  the 
city  proper.  And  I  would  not  be  surprised  if  some 
of  the  masters  and  rulers  there  have  received  their 
clearest  ideas  of  Christianity  from  their  depend¬ 
ents — Christians  living  in  the  country.  They  learn 
from  them  what  the  missionary  is  and  what  he  is 
doing,  and  in  them  see  Christianity  as  I  want  them 
to  see  it  in  its  power  over  their  own  people.  Said  a 
governor  of  a  large  province  once  to  me :  “If  all 

your  Christians  are  like -  I  would  wish  all  my 

people  to  become  Christians.” 

But  no  fast  rule  can  be  laid  down.  Fields  are 
not  alike.  The  qualifications  of  the  workers  are  not 
the  same.  But  I  believe  you  will  not  make  a  mis¬ 
take  by  spending  a  portion  of  your  time  in  the 
country  villages'.  Take  a  small  district.  Become 
interested  in  the  people  themselves,  in  their  work 
and  their  children.  Note  the  names  of  those  most 
interested.  Pray  for  them  and  repeat  the  visits. 
If  you  have  a  talent  for  remembering  names  and 
faces,  cultivate  it.  People  like  to  be  recognized 
and  called  by  their  own  names.  I  have  lost  a  great 
deal  by  not  being  able  to  call  the  names  of  people 
that  I  ought  to  know.  Not  indirectly  connected 
with  this  is  the  question  of  our  general  bearing  to 
the  natives.  In  most  eastern  nations  you  will  be 
tempted  to  regard  them  as  your  inferiors.  But  do 
not  look  down  upon  them.  “Behold,  God  is  mighty 
and  despisetli  not  any.”  Put  yourself  in  their  place 
and  imagine  if  you  would  be  willing  to  be  con  verted 
by  a  man  who  treated  you  with  contempt.  The 
lowest  races  have  some  traces  of  the  divine  image 
in  them  yet,  and,  after  all,  who  hath  made  us  to 
differ?  And,  as  Dr.  Hodge  used  to  tell  us,  “the 


14 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  N  e  tv  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


difference  between  two  grains  of  sand  is  not  very 
great.” 

But  I  have  already  gone  beyond  my  limit,  and 
must  stop.  I  will  simply  mention  one  or  two  other 
points.  Dread,  above  all  things,  the  evils  of  dis- 
sentions  in  your  own  body.  Stations,  possibly  mis¬ 
sions,  have  been  rent  asunder  or  broken  up  by 
dissensions  among  those  who  have  left  their  homes 
to  teach  the  religion  of  love.  You  may  not  find 
all  your  associates  always  lovelv.  Be  lovelv  and 
loving  yourself.  It  is  not  always  the  clearest  eye 
that  sees  the  most  motes  in  the  brother’s  eye. 

The  first  yefir  is  largely  devoted  to  study,  but 
not  too  exclusively.  It  is  a  mistake  to  have  nothing 
to  do  beside;  ask  for  some  work  that  you  can  call 
your  own.  Take  a  class  in  the  Sabbath  or  day 
school.  Begin  to  pray  by  learning  the  Lord’s 
Prayer;  pronounce  the  benediction.  Do  something 
in  the  line  of  work.  The  longer  you  put  off  the 
beginning,  the  harder  it  will  be.  Pride  will  come 
in  at  last.  What  is  to  be  your  demeanor  toward 
foreigners,  people  of  your  own  race?  Nowhere  is 
there  greater  need  for  sanctified  common  sense 
than  on  the  mission  field. 

In  everything,  by  prayer  and  supplication,  let 
your  requests  be  made  known  unto  God. 

I  will  let  you  find  out  for  yourself  the  fallacy  of 
your  preconceived  idea  that  it  must  be  very  easy 
to  live  a  holy  life  on  a  mission  field.  Every  condi¬ 
tion  in  life  has  its  temptations.  In  every  one,  grace 
is  an  exotic.  Experience  lias  shown  that  a  high 
degree  of  consecration  may  be  attained  in  all.  God 
is  to  make  all  grace  abound.  That  His  grace  may 
lie  sufficient  for  you,  and  that  you  may  be  spared 


15 


0  o  u  n  set  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


to  do  a  great  and  useful  work,  is  our  prayer  for 
you  all. 

Study  the  Word — live  the  Word — preach  the 
Word — disseminate  the  Word,  and  read  Isaiah  lv. 
10-11  for  the  result. 

May  the  Lord  make  you  to  increase  and  abound 
in  love  one  toward  another  and  toward  all  men. 
Broad  charity,  deep  sympathy  and  love  for  the 
people  are  very  essential  on  mission  fields. 


16 


II 


THE  RELATION  OF  THE  MISSIONARY  TO 
HIS  FELLOW-WORKERS 

By  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Lucas ,  I ).!).,  of  India. 

'J'HE  relation  of  missionaries  in  the  field  to  one 
another  is  close  and  intimate.  Now  and  then 
two  families  live  in  the  same  house,  although  this 
is  not  usual  nor,  as  a  rule,  wise.  In  the  same  com¬ 
pound  may  be  found  two  or  three  mission  homes, 
and  thus  each  looks  largely  to  the  other  for  society, 
counsel  and  help.  In  the  mission  meeting  each  may 
have  a  vote  after  the  first  year,  and  thus  decide  and 
control  in  a  measure  the  work  of  others.  The  first 
question  concerning  the  new  missionary  on  his 
arrival  in  the  field  is  his  station,  and  out  of,  per¬ 
haps,  half  a  dozen  places  his  home  is  fixed  for  the 
year  by  majority  vote;  and  at  every  annual  meet¬ 
ing  of  the  mission  the  needs  of  a  station  or  an 
institution,  the  furlough  or  death  of  a  missionary, 
may  force  the  consideration  of  a  redistribution  of 
the  work.  It  takes  only  a  glance  at  all  this  to  see 
how  close  and  delicate  is  the  relation  of  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  same  mission,  and  how  much  need  there 
is  of  prudence,  tact,  wisdom  from  above,  and,  bet¬ 
ter  than  all,  fervent  and  unfeigned  love  one  for  the 
other.  It  is  well  worth  while  then  to  ask  how  this 
union  of  missionaries  in  the  field  may  be  made  most 
helpful,  each  comforting,  strengthening  and  inspir¬ 
ing  the  other. 

Let  us  settle  in  our  hearts  first  of  all,  that  we 

17 


Counsel  to  New  Mi s s  i  o  n  a  r i e  s 


have  not  been  thrown  into  this  close  fellowship 
in  service  by  chance.  The  Lord  of  the  harvest  has 
brought  ns  together.  He  has  given  gifts  to  each, 
as  seemed  best  to  Him :  one  to  plant,  another  to 
water,  while  yet  another  reaps  the  long  years  of 
others’  labor.  Each  has  his  part  to  do,  and  each 
is  needed  to  fill  out  that  which  is  lacking  in  the 
other.  The  Spirit  Himself  has  guided  the  steps 
of  each  to  the  mission,  of  which  he  is  now  a  mem¬ 
ber,  and  given  gifts  to  each  for  the  good  of  all. 
If  we  train  our  hearts  to  think  of  our  fellow-mis¬ 
sionaries,  as  sent  by  the  Spirit  to  work  with  us  and 
to  do  a  part  of  it  which  none  other  of  us  can  do  so 
well,  we  shall  have  the  open  eye  to  recognize  and 
appreciate  his  gifts  and  work.  We  shall  be  kept 
from  thinking  lightly  of  his  services,  and  be  ready 
more  and  more  to  esteem  him  better  than  our¬ 
selves.  And  thus  will  be  born  generous  respect 
for  one  another.  Without  this  our  tone  in  speak¬ 
ing  to  others  may  have  this  note  of,  “I  have  no  need 
of  thee,”  and  when  that  note  is  detected,  as  it  surely 
will  be,  the  heart  of  our  fellow-worker  is  closed  to 
us,  no  matter  what  our  learning,  eloquence  or  zeal. 
Our  first  word  then  to  the  missionary  joining  a 
mission  circle  is,  not  to  cease  his  hunt  until  he  has 
found  in  each  of  his  fellow-workers  some  grace  or 
gift,  something  lovely  and  of  good  report,  and  to 
dwell  on  these  things  so  constantly  that  true 
respect  and  hearty  appreciation  of  each  shall 
spring  up  in  the  heart  and  find  expression  from 
time  to  time.  Then  the  word  spoken  in  private  or 
in  mission  meeting,  and  the  vote  following,  which 
may  defeat  some  cherished  plan,  will  leave  no  sting 
and  no  bitter  memory. 

How  ready  the  great  missionary  to  the  nations 

18 


C o u n  s  e  l  to  N e w  M  i s s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e s 


was  to  see  and  praise  the  tilings  that  were  lovely 
and  of  good  report  in  his  fellow-workers!  Epa- 
ph  ras  is  the  “beloved  fellow-servant,  always  striv¬ 
ing  for  you  in  his  prayers,  for  I  bear  him  witness 
that  he  hath  much  labor  for  you  and  for  them  in 
Laodicea” ;  Onesimus  is  “the  faithful  and  beloved 
brother”;  Onesiphorus  “oft  refreshed  me  and  was 
not  ashamed  of  my  chain”;  Philemon,  “the  hearts 
of  the  saints  have  been  refreshed  through  thee, 
brother” ;  “Salute  xVpelles  the  approved  in  Christ” ; 
“Salute  Perses,  the  beloved,  which  labored  in  the 
Lord” ;  “Luke,  the  beloved  physician” ;  “Take  Mark 
and  bring  him  with  thee,  for  he  is  useful  to  me 
for  ministering”;  Aristarchus,  Mark,  Justus,  “my 
fellow-workers,  men  that  have  been  a  comfort  unto 
me.”  And  so  Paul  had  a  word  of  praise  for  his 
fellow-missionaries  ever  ready  to  break  from  his 
lips  and  pen.  He  was  ever  looking  for  and  longing 
to  find  something  lovely  and  of  good  report  in  each 
of  them,  and  his  search  was  not  in  vain.  Nor  will 
it  be  now.  The  missionary  who  keeps  in  mind  that 
“God  hath  set  the  members  each  one  of  them  in  the 
body,  even  as  it  pleased  Him,”  is  not  likely  to  think 
lightly  of  “the  brother  of  low  degree,”  nor  fail  to 
see  the  value  of  his  work,  and  to  give  the  praise  due 
him  for  it. 

In  the  “Life  of  Rev.  Ashbel  Green,”  once  presi¬ 
dent  of  Princeton  College  and  also  for  many  years 
co-pastor  of  a  large  church  in  Philadelphia,  is  a 
letter  from  his  friend  of  sixty  years,  Dr.  Samuel 
Miller,  of  Princeton,  in  which  Dr.  Miller  pays  this 
tribute  to  his  friend :  “There  is,  perhaps,  hardly 
anything  that  pnts  a  man’s  real  spirit  to  a  more 
decisive  and  even  severe  test  than  being  placed  in 
this  relation  (viz.,  the  associate  of  other  pastors 

19 


Counsel  to  N  e w  M  i  s s i o n  a r i e s 


over  a  large  congregation).  An  ambitious, 
encroaching,  selfish  man  can  hardly  ever  sustain 
it,  without  bearing  much  discomfort  himself,  and 
inflicting  quite  as  much,  if  not  more,  upon  his  col¬ 
leagues.  The  excellent  man  of  whom  I  speak,  had 
large  experience  of  this  relation  in  various  forms, 
and  in  every  case  acquitted  himself  in  a  manner 
which  manifested  much  amiableness  of  natural 
temper,  as  well  as  a  large  measure  of  the  Christian 
spirit.  With  his  first  colleague,  he  served  as  a  son 
with  a  father;  without  jealousy,  without  rivalship, 
and  with  the  utmost  cordiality  of  affection.  With 
later  colleagues  .  .  .  his  connection  was  no 

less  affectionate  and  pleasant.”  Dr.  Green  himself 
tells  us  how  it  was  that  he  was  enabled  to  live  in 
closest  association  of  work  with  his  colleagues, 
“without  jealousy,  without  rivalship  and  with  the 
utmost  cordiality  of  affection.”  This  is  the  secret 
put  on  record  near  the  close  of  his  life.  “The  diffi¬ 
culties  attending  collegiate  pastoral  charges  have 
nearly,  if  not  wholly,  banished  them  from  the  Pres¬ 
byterian  Church.  Why  is  this?  .  .  .  The 
primitive  churches,  even  in  the  Apostolic  age, 
appear  to  have  had  more  than  one  pastor. 

For  myself  I  can  truly  say  that  of  the  three  col¬ 
leagues  with  whom  I  have  been  connected,  I  never 
had  a  difficulty  with  one  of  them.  We  lived  together 
in  uninterrupted  brotherly  affection  and  con¬ 
fidence.  Let  no  pious  minister  consent  to  be  the 
colleague  of  a  man  whose  piety  lie  thinks  very  ques¬ 
tionable.  But  with  one  of  whose  personal  religion 
he  has  no  doubt,  let  him  make  an  agreement  that 
each  shall  pray  earnestly  for  the  other  in  the  daily 
prayers  that  lie  offers  for  himself,  and  that  each 
shall  defend  his  colleague’s  character,  as  if  it  were 

20 


Counsel  to  N  e w  M  i  s s  i o  n  a  r i e s 


his  own,  and  there  will  be  between  such  men  very 
little  danger  of  alienation.  To  this  practice  and 
under  the  blessing  of  God,  and  not  to  my  own  pru¬ 
dence  or  good  nature,  I  attribute  my  happiness  in 
the  several  collegiate  charges  that  I  have  sus¬ 
tained.”  If  the  missionaries  of  the  same  station 
or  mission  will  put  into  practice  this  rule  of  Dr. 
Green,  praying  daily  by  name  for  each  other, 
defending  each  the  good  name  of  the  other  as  his 
own,  then  will  be  smitten  to  death,  in  the  presence 
of  the  Lord,  not  a  few  of  the  common  causes  of 
heart-burning  and  alienation.  It  is  a  simple  rule. 
Try  it.  Every  missionary  who  has  tried  it  faith¬ 
fully  for  years,  will  bear  witness  how  it  has  many 
a  time  saved  him  from  hot  words  and  foolish 
actions.  This  seems  to  have  been  Paul’s  rule.  He 
tells  Timothy,  “How  unceasing  is  my  remembrance 
of  thee  in  my  supplications,  night  and  day.”  He 
tells  Philemon,  “I  thank  my  God,  always  making 
mention  of  thee  in  my  prayers.”  He  tells  the 
Philippian  bishops  and  deacons,  “I  thank  my  God 
upon  all  my  remembrance  of  you,  always  in  every 
supplication  of  mine  on  behalf  of  you  all,  making 
my  supplication  with  joy.” 

Within  a  year  or  two  of  his  arrival  in  the  field, 
the  missionary  is  given  a  vote,  and  by  a  vote  of  the 
mission  nearly  every  question  is  settled.  This  puts 
power  into  his  hands,  and  because  of  personal  ties 
often  causes  painful  and  perplexing  questions.  Is 
there  any  principle  to  guide  in  the  use  of  this 
power?  Yes,  in  everything  put  first  the  interests 
of  Christ.  Whatever  action  seems  best  for  the 
upbuilding  of  His  Church  and  work,  give  voice  and 
vote  for  that.  Personal  affection,  family  ties,  old 
and  sacred  friendships — these  are  things  which 

21 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


have  tlie  sanction  of  nature  and  Scripture  alike. 
They  have  their  place  and  use.  The  Master  Him¬ 
self  had  His  three  beloved  disciples  to  whom  He 
gave  an  access  and  intimacy  not  given  to  the  other 
apostles.  Peter  and  John  worked  together  rather 
than  Peter  and  Andrew,  though  they  were  brothers. 
All  this  freely  granted,  there  yet  remains  the  fear 
that  these  affinities  may  now  and  then  lead  to 
action  which  is  not  for  the  upbuilding  of  Christ’s 
Church  and  the  highest  interests  of  His  work,  and 
hence  the  need  of  constantly  being  on  guard,  lest 
they  incline  us  to  put  personal  friendship  above  the 
interests  of  the  work.  We  read  that  the  contention 
between  Paul  and  Barnabas  over  the  question  of 
taking  John  Mark  with  them  on  a  missionary  tour 
was  so  sharp  that  they  parted  asunder,  the  long 
friendship  with  Barnabas  broken  by  Paul,  rather 
than  yield  to  the  very  natural  desire  of  Barnabas 
to  take  his  nephew  with  him.  If  Paul  thought  that 
Mark  would  be  a  hindrance  rather  than  a  help  in 
the  difficult  work  before  them,  he  was  right  in  not 
listening  to  the  appeal  which  the  friendship  of 
Barnabas  made  to  him.  And  the  missionary  today 
may  not  be  long  in  the  field  before  he  is  called  on 
to  face  just  some  such  question  as  that  which 
divided  Paul  and  Barnabas.  For  such  an  emer¬ 
gency  he  will  need  courage,  humility  and  love,  and 
that  in  equal  proportions :  courage  to  stand  for 
what  seems  to  him  for  the  highest  interests  of  the 
work,  even  at  the  risk  of  alienating  a  friend; 
humility,  lest,  after  all,  lie  be  mistaken,  and  lest 
he  fail  to  pray  earnestly  and  constantly  for  the 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  and  the  love  which 
doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly,  seeketh  not  its 
own,  and  is  not  provoked.  Again  and  again,  a  bless- 

22 


C  o  u  n  set  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


ing  is  forfeited  by  failure  to  make  a  prayerful  effort 
to  be  of  one  mind  with  our  fellow-workers.  Such 
an  effort  would  often  bring  a  richer  blessing  than 
days  spent  at  a  convention  for  deepening  the  spir¬ 
itual  life,  full  of  blessing  as  such  days  have  often 
proved.  How  suggestive  the  words  of  the  Apostle 
Peter,  setting  forth  one  of  the  ways  in  which  we 
may  “inherit  a  blessing.”  “Finally,  be  ye  like- 
minded,  compassionate,  loving  as  brethren,  tender¬ 
hearted,  humble-minded:  not  rendering  evil  for 
evil,  or  reviling  for  reviling,  but,  contrariwise, 
blessing;  for  hereunto  were  ye  called,  that  ye 
should  inherit  a  blessing.” 

Some  years  ago  a  young  missionary,  a  feAv  weeks 
after  his  arrival  among  bis  brethren  on  the  field, 
wrote  back  to  friends  that  the  spiritual  state  of 
the  missionaries  was  very  unsatisfactory.  And  yet, 
some  who  had  long  been  in  the  field  were  giving 
thanks  at  what  seemed  to  them  the  working  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  the  hearts  of  the  missionaries  in 
such  measure  as  they  rarely  had  experienced  or 
observed.  The  life  bid  with  Christ  has  many  ways 
of  showing  itself.  If  the  manifestations  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  foreign  field  are  not  just  those  we  are 
accustomed  to  in  the  circle  where  we  have  hitherto 
moved,  let  us  not  infer  that  the  Spirit  is  not  work¬ 
ing.  “There  are  diversities  of  workings.”  The 
young  missionary  who  condemned  as  barren  every 
preacher  who  could  not  show  converts,  forgot  that 
the  refusal  to  baptize  sometimes  shows  a  far  deeper 
life  than  the  ambition  to  report  a  large  number 
of  baptisms.  He  forget,  too,  that  it  is  still  true 
that  “one  soweth  and  another  reapetli.”  George 
Bowen  preached  in  the  streets  of  Bombay  for  forty 
years  and  everywhere  he  could  get  a  hearing,  and 

23 


C  o  u  n  -v  c  /  t  o  N  c  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  vies 


yet,  at  last  had  to  say  with  li is  Master,  “Lord,  who 
hath  believed  our  report?”  John  xii:38. 

May  we  add  a  word  on  the  relation  of  the  young- 
missionary  to  his  fellow- workers  from  the  people  of 
the  country?  Do  not  learn  to  call  them  or  think  of 
them  as  “natives.”  Although  it  is  not  so  meant 
by  many  who  use  it,  vet  the  word  has  so  often  a 
slight  ring  of  contempt  in  it  that  it  is  better  not 
to  learn  to  use  it,  lest  at  the  wrong  time,  it  slip 
from  the  lips  and  bar  the  entrance  of  our  message 
to  the  heart.  Try  to  put  yourself  in  the  place  of 
the  “native  brother”  and  ask,  Would  you  like  to 
be  called  a  “native”  bv  members  of  the  ruling  race? 
The  English  language  is  not  so  poor  that  it  will 
not  furnish  equivalent  terms,  in  most  cases.  This 
is  a  little  matter,  but  the  use  of  the  word  has  often 
grated  on  sensitive  ears  and  closed  them  to  the 
speaker.  It  is  resented  at  heart  by  the  Christian 
community,  and  that  is  enough  of  itself  to  con¬ 
demn  it. 

A  young  missionary  once  addressed  the  late  Rev. 
Ram  Chandra  Rose  as  “Ram  Chandra.”  There 
was  no  intention  to  slight  Mr.  Bose,  and  so  no 
notice  was  taken  of  it.  Moreover,  Mr.  Bose  was 
too  great  a  man  to  condescend  to  notice  such  a 
slight,  even  had  it  been  intended. 

The  same  courtesy  we  show  to  fellow-missiona- 
ries  should  be  shown  to  fellow-workers  of  the  coiin- 
try,  and  failure  in  this  has  largely  brought  to 
nought  the  eloquence  of  more  than  one  evangelist. 
Not  long  ago  in  a  vernacular  paper  was  a  letter 
from  a  Christian  worker  telling  of  a  long  journey 
and  arrival  at  a  mission  house  in  the  early  morning. 
Had  it  been  a  brother  missionary  a  cup  of  tea 
would  have  been  offered,  but,  for  some  reason,  it 

24 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  N  e  w  ill  i  .v  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  g  s 


was  forgotten  in  this  ease,  and  the  missionary  let 
this  fellow-worker  go  away  with  a  heart  so  ruffled 
by  this  neglect,  that  it  tried  to  find  relief  in  a  letter 
to  the  paper.  Not  so  would  Paul  have  treated 
Timothy,  his  Eurasian  fellow-worker. 

Henry  Drummond  has  said  that  “  the  greatest 
thing  in  the  world  is  love.”  It  is  certainly  the 
greatest  thing  in  dealing  with  our  fellow-workers, 
whether  of  our  own  nationality  or  another.  Years 
ago  a  young  missionary  at  the  end  of  the  first  year 
in  the  field  broke  down  and  had  to  leave  the  coun¬ 
try,  never  to  return.  The  law  of  love  so  ruled  the 
tongue  of  that  young  missionary  that  it  was  never 
heard  to  speak  a  word  against  a  fellow-worker, 
and  the  influence  of  that  example  is  felt  and  is 
bearing  fruit  to  this  day  in  that  mission. 

The  sum  of  it  all  is  this:  Whether  your  fellow- 
laborer  be  of  your  own  nation  or  another,  receive 
him  as  sent  of  God  to  work  with  you,  respect  him 
and  show  it,  giving  it  expression  now  and  then 
through  pen  or  tongue,  remember  him  in  your 
prayers  day  by  day,  defend  his  good  name  as  your 
own,  in  lowliness  of  mind  esteem  him  better  than 
yourself,  value  highly  his  friendship,  but  when  the 
choice  must  be  made  between  that  and  the  interests 
of  the  work,  with  courage  and  humility  withstand 
him,  saying  ever  to  yourself,  until  it  is  burnt  into 
your  heart  as  your  greatest  need,  to  be  sought 
unceasingly  and  with  prayer,  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end  of  your  missionary  life — 

“Love  suffereth  long,  and  is  kind ; 

Love  envieth  not; 

Love  vaunteth  not  itself,  is  not  puffed  up; 

Doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly; 


25 


C o u n s e  l  to  N e w  M  i  s s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


Seeketh  not  her  own ; 

Is  not  easily  provoked; 

Tliinketh  no  evil ; 

Rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity,  bnt  rejoiceth  in  the  truth; 
Bearetli  all  things,  helieveth  all  things,  hopeth  all 
things,  enduretli  all  things.” 


^6 


Ill 


MISSIONARIES  AND  THE  LANGUAGE 

By  the  Rev.  Calvin  IF.  Mateer,  D.  D.,  of  China 

^)NE  of  the  tasks,  and  to  many  one  of  the  trials, 
of  missionary  life  is  the  learning  of  a  new, 
and  often  a  difficult,  language.  So  far  as  the  mes¬ 
sage  of  the  gospel  is  concerned,  the  tongue  is  tied 
until  the  language  is  learned.  I  set  it  down  as  a 
first,  principle  that  every  missionary  should  go  out 
with  a  distinct  and  fixed  determination  to  learn 
the  language,  and  to  learn  it  well.  Let  there  he  no 
shrinking  from  it,  no  aversion  to  it,  no  half  meas¬ 
ures  with  it.  Laxity  of  purpose  in  this  matter  is 
unworthy  of  any  one  who  is  called  to  be  a  mis¬ 
sionary.  When  I  hear  a  young  missionary,  after 
a  few  years  or  months  on  the  field,  say,  “I  hate 
this  language;  who  can  learn  such  outlandish  gib¬ 
berish  as  this?”  my  opinion  of  his  fitness  for  the 
work  at  once  suffers  a  heavy  discount.  Every 
young  missionary  should  consider  it  his  or  her 
special  business  to  fall  in  love  with  the  language 
as  quickly  as  possible. 

EVERY  MISSIONARY  CAN  LEARN  THE  LANGUAGE. 

Some  languages  are  harder  to  learn  than  others; 
but  anyone  who  is  deemed  worthy  to  be  a  mis¬ 
sionary,  can,  if  he  sets  himself  steadfastly  to  the 
task,  learn  any  language  in  the  world.  Many  are 
unnecessarily  appalled  at  the  thought  of  learning 
to  speak  a  foreign  language.  They  have  dug  at 


27 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s s i o n a r i e s 


Latin  and  Greek  with  grammar  and  dictionary, 
until  they  have  gotten  the  idea  that  it  is  a  wonder¬ 
ful  feat  to  learn  a  new  language  so  as  to  speak  it, 
quite  forgetting  that  the  Greek  and  Eoman  chil¬ 
dren  learned  to  speak  their  language  as  easily  and 
glibly  as  possible,  without  either  grammar  or  dic¬ 
tionary.  No  doubt  a  good  memory  is  a  great 
advantage,  but  an  ordinary  memory  with  a  steady 
purpose  is  quite  equal  to  the  occasion.  A  faint 
heart  courts  failure.  A  vigorous  and  determined 
effort  always  brings  success. 

Not  only  learn  the  language,  but  learn  it  well. 
No  other  thought  should  be  entertained  for  a 
moment  by  either  man  or  woman.  Other  things 
being  equal,  a  missionary’s  success  will  be  in  direct 
proportion  to  his  skill  in  handling  the  language. 
There  is  no  excuse  for  half  measures.  It  is  nothing 
less  than  a  shame  for  a  missionary  to  stammer  his 
way  through  life,  exciting  by  turns  the  ridicule 
and  disgust  of  his  hearers.  Such  talking  and 
preaching  is  not  only  a  shame,  but  it  is  an  enor¬ 
mous  waste  of  time  and  force,  as  well  as  a  serious 
handicap  to  the  message  itself.  He  whose  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  language  is  inadequate,  has  to  resort 
to  continual  circumlocutions  and  awkward  make¬ 
shifts  in  order  to  express  his  ideas  at  all ;  and  when 
at  last  the  shot  is  discharged,  it  is  often  little  bet¬ 
ter  than  a  spent  ball.  The  heathen  are  none  too 
eager  to  hear,  so  that  the  man  who  halts  and  blun¬ 
ders  in  his  use  of  the  language  will  be  unable  to 
hold  his  audience  or  impress  his  message.  He 
who  commands  the  resources  of  the  language  will 
say  the  same  things  in  one-fourth  of  the  time,  and 
say  them  far  more  effectively. 

If  a  man  is  to  live  and  preach  and  teach  for  a 

28 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  N  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  (trie  s 


score  or  two  of  years,  it  is  a  wise  economy  for  him 
to  spend  an  extra  year  at  the  start  studying  the 
language,  by  wdiicli  he  will  ultimately  save  the 
equivalent  of  several  years  of  time,  to  say  nothing 
of  gaining  a  very  great  addition  of  power  in  deliv¬ 
ering  his  message.  Some  men,  eager  to  begin  their 
real  work,  take  to  preaching  on  a  very  slender 
stock  of  words ;  and  finding  the  work  less  irksome 
and  more  to  their  taste  than  digging  at  the  lan¬ 
guage,  they  neglect  their  studies,  and  step  by  step 
they  fall  into  the  habit  of  doing  business  on  a  very 
small  capital.  They  go  on  grinding  the  same  grist 
of  words  over  and  over  again  for  all  customers, 
and  so,  without  realizing  it,  go  laboring  through 
their  lives  at  an  immense  disadvantage  for  want  of 
an  adequate  command  of  the  language.  Others 
allow  themselves  to  be  drawn  aside  from  the  study 
of  the  language  by  secularities,  such  as  house¬ 
building,  housekeeping,  accounts,  etc.,  which 
break  up  their  habits  of  study,  and  they  presently 
lose  their  taste  for  the  language,  and  before  long 
grow  content  with  their  meager  vocabulary  and 
their  makeshift  manner  of  speech. 

A  special  word  needs  to  be  said  with  regard  to 
ladies.  Other  things  being  equal,  they  generally 
at  the  start  learn  the  language  with  greater  facility 
than  men.  What  they  need  is  the  ambition  and  the 
perseverance  to  keep  on.  Married  ladies  are,  of 
course,  more  or  less  handicapped  with  household 
cares,  and  by  and  by  with  children ;  nevertheless, 
with  reasonable  health,  it  is  quite  practicable  for 
them  to  learn  the  language,  and  learn  it  well. 
Many  have  done  conspicuously  well  in  this  regard, 
not  always  those  who  have  had  the  best  opportuni¬ 
ties,  or  the  highest  gifts,  but  always  those  who  had 

29 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


a  liigh  sense  of  their  duty  in  this  regard,  and  who 
had  a  mind  to  succeed.  In  most  heathen  lands 
domestic  service  is  plentiful  and  cheap,  so  that 
ladies  may  generally  he  relieved  of  much  of  the 
work  of  housekeeping,  though  not,  of  course,  of  its 
cares.  Every  woman  who  marries  a  missionary 
ought  to  do  it  with  the  distinct  purpose  that  she 
is  going  to  be  a  missionary  herself.  She  is  gen¬ 
erally  so  regarded  and  so  called,  and  she  ought  to 
fulfil  her  calling,  which  she  cannot  do  without  the 
language.  I  once  examined  a  young  wife  with  her 
husband  after  six  months  at  the  language.  I  was 
much  impressed,  and  a  little  amused,  at  the  set 
determination  of  the  lady  not  to  fall  a  whit  below 
her  husband.  Nor  did  her  after-life  fall  below  the 
start  she  made.  In  an  experience  of  nearly  forty 
years,  I  have  occasionally  seen  missionary  wives 
grow  somewhat  discontented,  and  all  too  willing 
to  go  home  and  remain  there,  but  I  never  saw  one 
such  who  had  learned  the  language,  and  put  her 
hand  to  mission  work. 

IIOW  TO  LEARN  THE  LANGUAGE. 

Vicious  or  inadequate  ideas  on  this  subject  do 
much  harm,  and  account  for  many  inefficient  lives. 
A  few  hints  on  the  subject  will  not  be  amiss. 

1.  Make  the  learning  of  the  language  your  sole 
business  until  such  time  as  you  have  a  working 
knowledge  of  it.  Put  away  for  the  time  your  Greek 
and  Hebrew  and  theology  and  history  and  novels 
and  magazine  stories,  and  then,  morning,  noon  and 
night,  give  yourself  to  the  business  of  memorizing 
the  words  and  phrases  of  the  new  language,  saying 
to  all  intruders,  “This  one  thing  I  do — I  press 
toward  the  mark”  of  talking  and  reading  this  lan- 

30 


C o u n  s  e  l  to  N  e w  M  i  s s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e s 


guage.  By  so  doing,  your  memory  will  not  be  dis¬ 
tracted  by  the  intrusion  of  other  things.  You  will 
soon  become  interested  in  your  work,  and  your 
mind  will  presently  eatcli  the  glow  of  a  new  enthu¬ 
siasm.  This  will  make  the  work  easy  and  pleasant. 
You  will  come  to  it  each  day  like  a  hungry  child 
to  its  dinner.  When  I  see  a  missionary  only  giving 
his  forenoons  to  the  language,  devoting  the  rest 
of  the  day  to  English  studies  and  general  reading, 
I  expect  in  a  few  months  to  hear  him  complaining 
that  the  language  is  dry  and  uninteresting,  that 
he  forgets  it  as  fast  as  he  learns  it,  etc.  Such  symp¬ 
toms,  once  seated,  generally  grow  worse,  the  result 
being  that  the  language  is  never  properly  learned. 
Those  who  do  not  learn  it  at  first,  generally  do  not 
learn  it  at  all.  You  need  not  be  alarmed  about 
giving  your  whole  strength  for  a  year  or  eighteen 
months  to  the  language.  When  you  have  a  good 
working  knowledge  of  it,  it  will  be  time  enough  to 
look  around  and  see  whether  or  not  you  have  for¬ 
gotten  everything  else. 

In  behalf  of  physicians,  a  special  word  needs  to 
be  said.  They  are  often  robbed  of  the  proper  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  learn  the  language,  by  the  too  early  prac¬ 
tice  of  their  profession.  Every  medical  missionary 
should  claim,  and  his  colleagues  should  accord  him, 
full  opportunity  to  learn  the  language.  Prac¬ 
tically,  he  needs  to  know  it  quite  as  well  as  his 
clerical  brother,  in  both  its  spoken  and  written 
forms.  On  the  mission  field,  preaching  loses  its 
technical  character.  Every  missionary,  male  and 
female,  is  a.  preacher.  Doctors  should  also  preach, 
and  if  they  do  not  get  the  language  well  enough  for 
this  purpose,  their  career  is  generally  short. 

2.  Practice  what  you  learn,  or  rather  learn  by 

31 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


practicing.  Lesson  books  and  dictionaries  are  a 
very  important  help,  but  they  are  also  dangerous, 
in  that  they  tend  to  draw  von  too  much  awav  from 
your  teacher,  the  living  exemplar  of  the  language. 
The  words  you  learn  each  day,  use  in  talking  to 
your  teacher,  asking  and  answering  questions  to 
the  full  extent  of  your  vocabulary.  Teachers  of 
heathen  languages  are  not  generally  teachers  at 
all.  They  are  simply  animated  sticks.  It  is  your 
business  to  train  your  teacher  as  well  as  possible, 
and  to  extract  from  him  all  you  can  get.  Insist  on 
his  always  correcting  your  mistakes,  and  then  do 
not  get  either  vexed  or  discouraged  when  he  does 
his  duty.  Out  of  study  hours,  every  man,  woman 
or  child  you  meet  will  give  you  an  opportunity  to 
practice  what  you  know.  If  the  opportunity  does 
not  come  of  itself,  seek  it.  Do  not  be  afraid  to  try. 
Never  stop  for  mistakes.  A  child  learns  to  walk 
only  after  innumerable  falls.  Practice  loosens  the 
tongue,  confirms  the  memory,  and  gives  zest  to  the 
process  of  acquiring.  He  who  confines  himself  to 
a  lesson  book  will  learn  the  language  both  slowly 
and  laboriously. 

3.  Take  pains  to  acquire  the  art  of  hearing  and 
discriminating  new  sounds.  Many  of  the  languages 
of  the  heathen  world  contain  sounds  and  combina¬ 
tions  not  known  to  the  English  language.  It  is 
very  important  to  learn  to  speak  without  a  dis¬ 
agreeable  foreign  brogue  that  will  hinder  a  perfect 
understanding  of  what  is  said,  and  prejudice  the 
hearer’s  disposition  to  listen.  The  ear  must  be 
trained  by  careful  and  oft-repeated  listening,  until 
every  sound  can  be  distinguished  and  analyzed. 
A  somewhat  extended  experience  leads  me  to  the 
conclusion  that  in  cases  of  incorrect  rendering  of 

32 


Con  n  s  e l  to  N e w  M  i  s s  i o n a r i e 8 


the  sounds  the  fault  does  not  lie  in  any  disability 
to  produce  the  sound,  but  in  the  failure  to  hear  it 
correctly.  A  sound  once  properly  heard  will  soon 
be  produced  by  the  voice.  Careless  listening, 
together  with  the  underlying  false  assumption  that 
every  possible  sound  must,  of  course,  exist  in  the 
English  language,  account  for  most  of  the  faulty 
pronunciation  of  foreign  languages.  It  need  hardly 
be  added  that  a  clean-cut  and  not  too  rapid  enun¬ 
ciation  is  of  prime  importance. 

4.  Cultivate  the  art  and  the  habit  of  catching 
up  new  words.  It  is  one  thing  to  acquire  what  is 
called  a  working  knowledge  of  a  language,  and 
quite  another  thing  to  know  it  well ;  that  is,  to  com¬ 
mand  its  resources,  so  as  to  use  it  fluently  and  effec¬ 
tively.  To  achieve  this  latter  power,  at  least  in 
the  case  of  cultivated  languages,  requires  prolonged 
effort.  When  you  hear  a  native  speaking,  keep 
your  ears  open  to  catch  any  new  words  and  phrases 
you  hear  him  use.  If  not  fully  apprehended,  note 
them  down,  and  take  the  first  opportunity  to  inves¬ 
tigate,  and  so  fix  them  in  your  memory.  For  this 
purpose  a  pocket  note-book  is  invaluable.  This 
process  will  rapidly  enlarge  your  stock  of  words, 
while  it  will  make  the  acquisition  easy  and  pleas¬ 
urable.  The  neglect  of  this  principle  accounts  for 
the  narrow  round  of  words  that  many  missionaries 
are  able  to  command.  I  once  called  the  attention 
of  a  brother  missionary  of  over  twenty-five  years’ 
experience  to  a  certain  phrase  used  by  a  native 
preacher  in  our  hearing.  He  expressed  his  satis¬ 
faction  at  getting  the  phrase,  adding,  however,  that 
he  had  never  heard  anyone  use  it  before.  It  is 
safe  to  say  that  it  had  been  used  in  his  hearing 
many  hundreds  of  times,  yet  he  had  never  heard 

33 


C o  u  n  s g  1  to  New  M  i  s  s i o n a r i e  s 


it!  When  a  missionary  reaches  such  a  stage  as 
this,  his  progress  in  the  language  is  at  an  end.  He 
will  remain  a  dwarf. 

HOW  TO  USE  THE  LANGUAGE. 

Three  lines  of  activity  open  before  the  clerical 
missionary:  preaching,  teaching  and  the  making  of 
books.  Which  shall  engross  his  time,  or  what  pro¬ 
portion  shall  be  given  to  each,  is  an  all-important 
question.  Beyond  controversy,  preaching  is  tl\e 
prime  business  of  the  missionary.  Here  all  should 
begin,  and  while  some  may  by  and  by  teach  or  make 
books,  none  should  ever  cease  to  preach  as  cir¬ 
cumstances  may  permit.  For  preaching,  the  spoken 
language  is  the  prime  requisite,  and  its  acquisition 
should  be  the  first  ambition  of  every  missionary. 
No  amount  of  book  learning  can  take  its  place, 
or  justify  a  missionary  in  neglecting  it.  In  many 
non-Christian  countries  the  written  language  is 
more  or  less  different  from  the  spoken,  and  in  some 
cases  the  two  are  quite  distinct.  In  such  countries 
there  is  occasionally  a  danger  that  men  will  waste 
time  in  trying  to  reach  a  high  style  of  speaking, 
such  as  literary  men  affect  and  admire.  Very  few 
foreigners  are  able  to  achieve  this  end,  and  in  the 
attempt,  often  lose  more  than  they  gain.  They 
shoot  over  the  heads  of  the  mass  of  their  hearers, 
and  so  fail  to  make  the  gospel  message  effective. 
It  is  quite  possible  to  speak  fluently  and  accurately, 
without  any  parade  of  high-sounding  classical 
elegance. 

A  greater  danger,  perhaps,  lies  in  an  opposite 
direction ;  namely,  preaching  in  a  slovenly  and 
uninteresting  way.  The  missionary  falls  into  this 
serious  ami  all  too  common  fault,  from  underesti- 


34 


C o u n s e  l  to  N  e w  M  i  s  s  i  o n a  vies 


mating  the  intelligence  of  his  hearers  and  the  high 
responsibilities  of  his  office.  He  should  never  allow 
the  pressure  of  other  things,  or  a  low  estimate  of 
the  capacity  of  his  hearers,  or  reliance  on  his  ability 
to  extemporize  some  pions  talk  that  will  meet  the 
occasion,  to  serve  as  an  excuse  for  indifferent  prep¬ 
aration,  especially  when  he  preaches  to  Christian 
hearers.  In  missionary  life,  preaching  means  more 
than  formal  discourse  in  a  church  or  chapel.  It 
means  telling  the  story  of  the  gospel  to  all  hearers, 
on  all  occasions,  to  men,  to  women,  and  to  children, 
at  home  and  by  the  wayside.  For  this  purpose, 
there  is  nothing,  aside  from  the  love  of  Christ  in 
the  heart,  that  is  so  effective  as  a  fluent  and  natural 
use  of  the  language. 

This  is  not  the  place  to  discuss  the  relative  claims 
of  preaching,  teaching  and  book-making.  Suffice 
it  to  say  that  some  should,  no  doubt,  teach,  and 
some  make  books; — who  should  do  so,  must  be 
determined  by  the  conditions  of  work,  and  the 
talents  and  tastes  of  the  individual.  All  are  not 
called  to  the  same  work.  Each  has  his  special  gift. 
It  is  a  great  thing  for  a  man  to  be  able  to  estimate 
himself  for  just  what  he  is  worth.  A  few  fail  to 
achieve,  because  they  think  they  cannot,  when,  in 
fact,  they  could;  but  many  more  fail  because  they 
think  they  could,  when,  in  fact,  they  cannot.  Every 
missionary  should  study  the  situation  that  con¬ 
fronts  him,  and,  if  possible,  get  himself  into  the 
right  place.  On  this  depends  his  highest  success. 
Making  books  is  a  very  important  branch  of  mis¬ 
sionary  effort,  which  I  would  by  no  means  depre¬ 
ciate;  but  he  who  would  undertake  it  should  be 
sure  of  his  call,  and  should  not  begin  too  soon. 
There  is  a  temptation  to  forego  active  evangelistic 

35 


Counsel  to  N e w  Missionaries 


work  for  the  less  laborious  and,  perhaps,  more  con¬ 
genial  work  of  sitting  in  a  study  translating,,  or 
studying  the  literature  of  the  language.  Much 
precious  time  is  sometimes  wasted  in  this  way, 
especially  in  the  earlier  stages  of  a  man’s  life, 
before  he  is  quite  able  to  weigh  himself  against 
his  work.  It  is  a  rare  thing  indeed  that  a  mis¬ 
sionary  should  undertake  writing  or  translating 
a  book  inside  of  live  years,  and  then  he  should  be 
supported  by  the  advice  and  approval  of  his  older 
associates.  Translating  in  a  tentative  way  is  some¬ 
times  resorted  to  as  a  means  of  learning  the  lan¬ 
guage,  but,  in  general,  it  is  not  good  policy.  The 
beginner  is  certain  to  use  many  foreign  idioms, 
and  there  is  great  danger  that  they  will  afterward 
adhere  to  him  to  the  permanent  injury  of  his  style. 

The  above  ideas,  in  the  way  of  assistance  and 
advice  to  a  new  or  prospective  missionary,  are  the 
outcome  of  well  nigh  forty  years’  experience  in 
nearly  every  branch  of  missionary  work.  More 
might  easily  be  said,  but  this  is  as  much  as,  perhaps 
more  than  the  missionaries  just  entering  the 
held  will  be  able  to  understand  and  appreciate. 
The  place  to  learn  the  full  lesson  is  on  the  held,  in 
the  midst  of  the  varied  experiences  that  the  work 
itself  brings. 


36 


IV 


THE  SPIRIT  AND  METHODS  OF 
E  VANGELIZA  770  V. 

By  the  Rev.  Hunter  Corbett,  D.  T).,  of  China. 

rpHE  supreme  aim  of  every  missionary  should 
be  to  preach  Christ  so  that  every  one  must 
hear,  and  that  souls  will  be  won  for  Christ  and 
believers  established  in  the  faith. 

“Do  the  work  of  an  evangelist,”  testifying  to 
everyone  “repentance”  toward  God  and  faith 
toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,”  should  be  ever 
heard  as  God’s  voice  from  heaven,  constraining 
everyone  to  labor  with  untiring  zeal,  in  the  con¬ 
fident  hope  that  by  the  blessing  of  God  the  entire 
land  will  be  soon  filled  with  self-propagating  and 
self-governing  Christian  churches. 

uTake  heed,  therefore,  unto  yourselves,"  is  the 
first  imperative  duty.  Every  missionary  should 
be  ruled  by  an  unchanging  purpose  to  live  in  close 
and  constant  fellowship  with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and,  if  it  be  possible,  “live  peaceably  with  all  men.” 
“The  people  that  do  know  their  God  will  be  strong 
and  do  exploits.”  They  will  ever  have  a  growing 
desire  to  know  more  of  Christ,  “the  power  of  His 
resurrection  and  the  fellowship  of  His  sufferings.” 
The  life  Jesus  lived  on  earth,  will  be  a  subject  of 
constant  study  and  meditation.  “It  came  to  pass 
that  Jesus  also  being  baptized  and  praying,  the 
heaven  was  opened  and  the  Holy  Ghost  descended 
in  bodily  shape  upon  Him.”  Is  not  the  lesson  here 


37 


Counsel  to  N  e  id  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


taught  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  given  in  answer  to 
prayer,  and  that  all  workers  in  the  Master’s  vine¬ 
yard  must  from  first,  to  last  “be  filled  with  the 
Spirit”?  The  Holy  Spirit  is  represented  as  the 
qnickener,  the  enlightener,  the  comforter,  the 
guide,  the  helper  and  the  life  of  every  true  believer. 
Might  not  the  Holy  Spirit  unite  with  Jesus  in 
uttering  the  words  never  to  be  forgotten,  “Without 
me  ye  can  do  nothing”? 

With  joy  every  earnest  worker  will  delight  to 
study  how  Jesus  prayed,  when  on  earth  went  about 
doing  good,  preached,  healed,  entreated,  warned 
and  constrained  all  to  listen,  so  that  “the  common 
people  heard  Him  gladly.”  “Never  man  spake  like 
this  man”  was  given  as  a  sufficient  reason  for 
disobeying  the  command  to  arrest  Jesus. 

Constant  meditation  on  these  things  will  unques¬ 
tionably  till  the  mind  with  high  ideals,  and  exert 
a  powerful  influence  over  the  heart  and  life,  and 
compel  us,  as  it  did  Paul,  to  say,  “I  press  toward  the 
mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in 
Christ  Jesus,”  and  aid  in  “bringing  into  captivity 
every  thought  to  the  obedience  of  Christ.” 

After  Jesus,  t  lie  command  is,  “Take  those  who 
have  spoken  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  for  an  example 
of  suffering,  affliction  and  patience.”  Living  in 
daily  fellowship,  not  only  with  Jesus,  but  with  the 
prophets,  apostles  and  others,  of  whom  the  world 
was  not  worthy,  should  by  the  blessing  of  God  fill 
the  heart  with  enthusiastic  hopes,  unquenchable 
zeal,  undaunted  courage,  tireless  energy,  persist¬ 
ence  and  every  noble  quality  which  will  make  work¬ 
men  “that  need  not  to  be  ashamed,  rightly  divid¬ 
ing  the  word  of  truth.”  Such  will  strive  to  imitate 
the  apostles  in  the  resolve,  “But  we  will  give  our- 

38 


C  o  a  n  s  e  l  t  o  N  e  w  71/  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


selves  continually  to  prayer  and  to  the  ministry 
of  the  world.”  Men  of  prayer  are  men  of  power. 
They  will  give  their  whole  hearts  to  the  main  mat¬ 
ters  of  life,  and  not  suffer  their  energies  to  he 
dissipated  by  even  so  good  and  praiseworthy 
objects  as  distributing  alms  to  the  widows  and 
other  good  and  innocent  things  urgently  claiming 
attention. 

No  one  has  physical  and  mental  strength  to  do 
well  everything  he  might  wish  to  do,  nor  does  God 
hold  any  one  responsible  for  the  work  committed 
to  the  entire  Church.  God  surely  expects  each  one 
to  ponder  the  truth,  “He  that  is  faithful  in  that 
which  is  least  is  faithful  also  in  much.” 

Every  missionary  should  resolve  to  give  self- 
denying,  hard  and  persistent  study  in  learning  well 
the  languages  and  everything  that  will  give  him 
influence  and  power.  Not  only  during  the  early 
years  of  missionary  life  but  to  the  end  of  life  he 
should  be  always  learning.  Failure  to  start  right 
may  handicap  throughout  all  coming  years,  and 
diminish  the  success  and  joy  which  might  have 
been. 

THE  MISSIONARY  AT  WORK 

Jesus  said  unto  Simon  and  Andrew,  “Follow  me, 
and  I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men.”  The  skilful 
fisherman  goes  where  the  fish  are  found;  studies 
their  habits,  and  adopts  the  best  methods  of 
speedily  capturing  as  many  as  possible.  Missiona¬ 
ries  are  called  to  fish  for  men  that  they  may  be 
saved.  One  method  which  God  has  blessed  in 
preaching  to  the  heathen  has  been  work  in  the  street 
chapel ,  as  distinct  from  the  church  building  where 
Sabbath  services  with  the  Christians  are  held.  To 


39 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  'New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


be  able  daily  to  secure  an  audience  is  a  matter  of 
great  importance.  An  attractive  building  in  a 
good  location  is  a  requisite  of  no  secondary  impor¬ 
tance.  The  chapel  should  be  well  lighted,  well  ven¬ 
tilated  and  comfortably  seated.  The  walls  should 
be  adorned  with  scripture  texts,  printed  in  large 
type.  In  some  cities  a  museum  and  reading-room, 
connected  with  the  chapel,  have  helped  to  attract 
multitudes,  and  secure  a  large  daily  attendance 
from  year  to  year.  The  entrance  should  be  only 
through  the  chapel  where  all  are  seated  for  a  time 
to  rest  and  listen  to  preaching  before  the  doors  are 
opened  into  the  inner  rooms.  To  secure  and  be  able 
to  hold  the  attention  of  people  untrained  to  listen 
to  public  speaking  requires  special  training,  tact 
and  power  of  adaptation.  To  speak  so  as  to  com¬ 
pel  the  dullest  intellect  to  understand  requires  a 
wide  and  varied  vocabulary,  clear  articulation, 
forcible  utterance,  and  the  skill  to  use  apt  illus¬ 
trations.  Love,  sympathy,  good  cheer  and  hopeful¬ 
ness  should  overflow  like  an  unfailing  fountain. 
Each  hearer  should  be  made  to  feel  that  the  gospel 
message  is  for  him  and  opens  a  door  of  hope. 

The  value  of  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  people, 
their  religious  beliefs,  hopes,  fears  and  environ¬ 
ments  cannot  be  overrated.  Not  only  should  the 
missionary  know  the  people  but  should  use  every 
right  effort  to  make  the  people  understand  him 
and  to  convince  them  that  he  is  their  true  friend, 
able  to  sympathize  with  them  in  their  trials,  bur¬ 
dens  and  all  of  life’s  sorrows. 

Without  this  mutual  understanding  there  is  dan¬ 
ger  of  sealing  hearts  which  otherwise  might  have 
been  opened  to  heed  and  receive  the  truth.  So  long 
as  the  people  are  suspicious  of  our  motives,  despise, 

40 


C  o  ii  n  s  e  I  to  N  e  w  Mis*  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


hate  and  revile  ns,  their  ears  are  closed  to  the  gos¬ 
pel  we  preach. 

On  the  day  of  Pentecost  the  apostles  “were  all 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to  speak 
with  other  tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utter¬ 
ance.”  Does  not  every  missionary  need  the  Holy 
Spirit’s  constant  help,  and  unite  with  Paul  in 
request  for  prayer  “that  utterance  may  be  given 
unto  me  that  I  may  open  my  month  boldly  to  make 
known  the  mystery  of  the  gospel”? 

A  very  great  and  easily  besetting  danger  which 
every  missionary  should  prayerfully  and  carefully 
guard  against  in  chapel  and  outdoor  preaching  is 
preaching  practically  the  same  sermon  day  after 
day  and  to  the  end  of  life.  The  constantly  changing 
audience  and  manifold  duties  always  pressing 
making  new  preparation  very  difficult,  is  not  a 
valid  reason  for  lack  of  constant  preparation. 
Freshness,  variety  and  new  and  growing  power 
can  only  come  from  intellectual  effort,  careful, 
prayerful  and  diligent  study.  Without  this  the 
speaker  does  an  irreparable  wrong  to  himself,  and 
robs  his  audience  of  the  freshness,  variety  and 
charm  which  are  their  due,  and  which  should  be 
expected  from  all  who  are  called  to  be  “ambassa¬ 
dors  for  Christ.” 

The  missionary  should  be  like  the  householder 
“who  bringeth  forth  out  of  his  treasure  things  new 
and  old.”  God  said  to  Jonah,  “Rise,  go  unto  Nine¬ 
veh,  that  great  city,  and  preach  unto  it  the  preach¬ 
ing  that  I  bid  thee.”  Should  not  the  missionary 
daily  ask  and  expect  from  God  the  message  that 
God  will  bless?  “A  word  fitly  spoken  is  like  apples 
of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver.” 

“The  preacher  sought  to  find  out  acceptable 

41 


C  o  u  n  s  e  I  to  N  e  no  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


words.”  Words  of  wisdom  do  not  come  sponta¬ 
neously  to  the  ordinary  person,  but  only  to  those 
who  search  as  for  hid  treasures.  Every  sermon  the 
missionary  prepares  should  first  nourish  his  own 
soul  and  give  him  clearer  views  of  God  and  duty 
and  the  needs  of  men.  All  should  guard  against  un¬ 
warranted  applications  of  Scripture  and  the  temp¬ 
tation  to  rely  upon  spontaneousness  and  inspira¬ 
tion.  “Take  no  thought  how  or  what  ye  shall  speak  : 
for  it  shall  he  given  you  in  that  hour  what  ve  shall 
speak.  For  it  is  not  ye  that  speak,  but  the  Spirit 
of  your  Father  which  speaketh  in  you.”  I  cannot 
for  a  moment,  believe  that  our  Saviour  meant  by 
this  that  men  are  warranted  in  going  into  the  pul¬ 
pit  to  speak  for  God  and  plead  with  men  in  Christ’s 
stead  to  be  reconciled  to  God  “without,  first  by 
earnest  prayer  and  study,  making  the  best  prepara¬ 
tion  possible.”  God  commanded  the  children  of 
Israel  “that  they  bring  pure  olive  oil,  beaten  for 
the  light,  to  cause  the  lamps  to  burn  continually.” 
Surely  the  Lord  desires,  and  is  worthy  of,  the  very 
best  we  are  able  to  give.  It  is  true  He  does  not 
need  our  learning,  much  less  does  He  need  our 
ignorance. 

Certain  fundamental  truths  must  be  constantly 
kept  before  the  people,  and  illustrated  and  empha¬ 
sized  with  all  the  power  God  has  given  us.  There 
is  only  one  living  and  true  God  who  hates  sin  and 
loves  righteousness. 

Jesus  Christ,  the  only  mediator  between  God 
and  man,  came  into  the  world  and  died  to  save 
sinners;  rose  again;  is  seated  at  God’s  right  hand, 
and  is  able  to  save  unto  the  uttermost  all  who  come 
unto  God  through  Him.  He  invites  whosoever  will 
to  come.  The  universality  and  exceeding  sinful- 

42 


Counsel  to  N  e w  M  i  s s i o n a  r i c s 


ness  of  sin  and  man’s  utter  helplessness,  except  by 
faith  and  trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  duty  of  prompt  and  whole-hearted  obedience 
to  all  of  God’s  commands,  which  were  given  to  he 
obeyed  and  not  disputed  nor  disregarded. 

The  assurance  that  God  is  our  heavenly  Father 
and  “like  as  a  father  pitietli  his  children,  so  the 
Lord  pitietli  them  that  fear  Him”;  that  “the  mercy 
of  the  Lord  is  from  everlasting  to  everlasting  upon 
them  that  fear  Him,  and  his  righteousness  unto 
children’s  children.” 

“How  shall  we  escape  if  we  neglect  so  great 
salvation?” 

The  above  are  truths  that  not  only  the  heathen 
but  also  professing  Christians  imperatively  need  to 
hear  and  to  keep  in  constant  remembrance.  There 
must  be  line  upon  line  and  precept  upon  precept 
so  lovingly  and  earnestly  pressed  upon  every  hearer 
that  whether  we  are  to  them  the  “savour  of  death 
unto  death”  or  the  “savour  of  life  unto  life,”  we 
shall  be  “pure  from  the  blood  of  all  men.”  All 
should  be  made  to  feel  that  the  missionary  believes 
with  the  whole  heart  the  truth  lie  preaches,  and 
therefore  cannot  but  warn  and  endeavor  to  per¬ 
suade  everyone  without  delay  to  yield  the  heart  to 
Jesus  as  the  only  possible  hope. 

My  earnest  conviction  is  that  the  cherished 
beliefs  and  religious  rites  and  ceremonies  which 
for  generations  all  have  been  trained  to  regard  as 
sacred  should  be  treated  with  the  deepest  respect. 
The  habit  of  making  the  audience  laugh  by  ridicu¬ 
ling  tlie  worship  of  idols,  ancestors  and  whatever 
have  for  generations  moulded  and  swayed  the  lives 
of  millions  I  regard  as  a  fearful  mistake  and  posi¬ 
tively  injurious.  “There  is  a  time  to  laugh,”  but 

43 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


religious  convictions  instilled  from  infancy  are  too 
deep  and  serious  for  laughter. 

The  missionary  must  “learn  to  put  himself  in  the 
place  of  his  hearers”  and  see  from  their  viewpoint. 
Learn  to  admire  and  appreciate  whatever  is  good 
and  praiseworthy.  There  is  nothing  like  the  rising- 
sun  to  dispel  mist  and  darkness.  Is  not  the  faith¬ 
ful,  earnest  and  persistent  preaching  of  the  Gospel, 
enforced  by  a  consistent  and  Christ-like  life,  the 
divinely  appointed  means  for  the  fulfilment  of  the 
glorious  promise,  “The  Gentiles  shall  come  to  thy 
light  and  kings  to  the  brightness  of  thy  rising”; 
“And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw 
all  men  unto  me”? 

When  the  gospel  is  fully  and  faithfully  preached, 
with  entire  dependence  on  the  Holy  Spirit,  whose 
office  it  is  to  “convince  of  sin,  of  righteousness  and 
of  judgment,”  “commending  ourselves  to  every 
man’s  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God,”  fully  believ¬ 
ing  that  the  Gospel  is  “the  power  of  God  unto  sal¬ 
vation  to  every  one  that  believeth,”  and  that  “it 
pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching  to 
save  them  that  believe,”  surely  we  have  a  right  to 
claim  and  expect  God’s  blessing,  and  that  He  will 
use  our  message  in  awakening  sinners  and  building- 
up  believers  in  the  faith. 

No  audience  should  be  expected  to  derive  great 
profit  from  listening  to  a  complete  outline  of  Bible 
truth  in  a  single  discourse.  Every  sermon  should 
aim  to  lodge  a  few  vital  truths  in  every  heart. 
Short,  clear,  crisp  and  carefully  prepared  sermons, 
in  language  that  all  can  understand,  are  what  the 
people  imperatively  need. 

Every  sermon  should  come  from  a  loving  and 
sympathetic  heart  and  be  preached  with  an  over- 

44 


Counsel  to  N  e w  Mission  a r i e s 


powering  earnestness  tliat  will  compel  thought  and 
the  conviction  that  the  truth  vitally  concerns  every 
individual  and  requires  immediate  attention. 
Every  sermon  should  be  all  aglow  with  the  love 
of  God  “who  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved.’’ 

The  conviction  should  ever  abide  with  the 
preacher  that  probably  many  in  the  audience  are 
hearing  for  the  first  time  of  salvation  through  faith 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and,  possibly,  may  never 
have  another  opportunity  to  hear  the  Gospel 
preached.  This  feeling  of  fearful  responsibility 
will  compel  us  to  “gird  up  the  loins  of  our  mind, 
be  sober,”  and  make  rambling  and  long,  wordy 
discourses  an  impossibility. 

All  should  cultivate  the  habit  not  only  of  think¬ 
ing  clearly  and  speaking  so  as  to  compel  attention, 
but  of  being  able  at  any  moment  to  ask  vital  ques¬ 
tions,  compelling  all  to  think  and  making  it  most 
difficult  for  anyone  to  sit  listless,  or  for  mind  or 
body  to  slumber  and  sleep.  Questions  properly 
asked  may  call  forth  answers  giving  a  clue  to  the 
needs  and  difficulties  of  the  hearers,  and  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  give  the  message  and  instruction  most 
needed  at  the  time.  It  may  be  well  at  intervals  to 
stop  speaking  and  request  the  people  to  follow  in 
a  few  words  of  earnest  prayer  to  God  for  mercy 
and  for  the  Holy  Spirit  to  convince  of  sin,  and 
open  every  heart  to  believe  in  J esus,  and  resolve 
to  accept  Him  as  He  is  offered  to  all  who  wish  to 
be  saved. 

The  singing  or  repeating  of  a  hymn  written  on 
a  large  scroll,  and  requesting  all  to  join,  may  lodge 
in  the  heart  truths  that  cannot  be  forgotten.  If 
possible  the  street  chapel  should  be  kept  open  the 
entire  day  and  every  day. 

45 


Counsel  to  N  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


In  some  centres  the  magic  lantern  lias  helped  to 
fill  the  chapel  in  the  evenings  with  business  men, 
clerks  and  laborers  who  could  not  attend  during 
the  day. 

There  should  be  a  room  convenient  to  the  chapel 
where  any  who  have  been  awakened  or  become 
interested  can  be  invited  to  enter  for  closer  per¬ 
sonal  work,  for  further  explaining  and  riveting  the 
truth  upon  the  awakened  conscience  and  for 
prayer.  Every  sermon  should  be  preceded  and 
followed  by  earnest  prayer,  and  not  only  future 
but  immediate  results  expected  from  it.  God  has 
said  of  His  word,  “It  shall  not  return  unto  me  void, 
but  it  shall  accomplish  that  which  I  please,  and  it 
shall  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I  sent  it.” 

The  command  “Compel  them  to  come  in”  has 
never  been  cancelled.  “Now  is  the  accepted  time.” 
“Say  not,  there  are  3^et  four  months  and  then 
cometli  harvest;  behold  I  say  unto  you,  lift  up 
your  eyes  and  look  on  the  fields :  for  they  are 
white  already  to  harvest.”  Is  this  truth  fully 
realized? 

There  should  always  be  kept  a  good  assortment 
of  well-written  tracts,  also  portions  of  scripture; 
and  used  freely,  not  only  in  the  hope  of  benefiting 
the  person  who  receives  them,  but  of  finding  en¬ 
trance  in  shops  and  homes  far  distant. 

Wherever  the  conditions  are  favorable  for  daily 
chapel  preaching,  by  the  blessing  of  God  faithful 
and  persistent  work  there  may  accomplish  much. 

1.  I  know  of  no  better  school  in  which  to  train 
missionaries  and  native  preachers  to  become  wide¬ 
awake  and  forceful  speakers  and  workers ;  also  to 
help  break  down  prejudice,  win  confidence  and 
influence  men. 


46 


C  o  u  n  s  e  /  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


2.  It  furnishes  a  grand  opportunity  to  preach 
to  many  from  far  and  near,  who  otherwise  would 
probably  never  have  so  favorable  an  opportunity 
to  hear. 

3.  It  is  a  means  of  keeping  the  truth  continually 
before  the  people;  also  of  making  known  the  time 
and  place  where  the  Sabbath  services  are  held,  and 
assuring  all  who  can  come,  of  meeting  with  a 
hearty  welcome. 

4.  A  great  help  in  preparing  the  surrounding 
country  for  itinerating  under  favorable  circum¬ 
stances.  All  who  have  received  courteous  and 
kindly  treatment  at  the  chapel  will  welcome  visits 
from  the  missionary  and  native  preachers  to  their 
villages,  and  will  assure  their  friends  and  neigh¬ 
bors  that  they  have  no  cause  to  fear,  but  can  safely 
and  profitably  spend  a  little  time  in  seeing  and 
hearing  for  themselves. 

5.  “Blessed  are  ye  that  sow  beside  all  waters.” 
During  the  wave  of  excitement  which  swept  over 
China  after  the  Tientsin  massacre,  in  1870,  a  man 
living  five  days’  journey  in  the  interior  resolved 
to  visit  Cliefoo  and  learn  all  he  could  about  for¬ 
eigners  and  their  errand  to  China.  One  day  when 
passing  the  chapel  on  the  main  street,  his  atten¬ 
tion  was  arrested  by  the  sight  of  a  missionary 
preaching  in  the  chapel.  He  entered,  listened  for 
a  time,  and  received  some  Christian  tracts.  When 
he  returned  to  his  home,  the  people  of  his  village 
assembled  on  the  street  in  the  evening  to  hear  his 
report.  lie  told  of  his  visit  to  the  chapel  and  all 
that  he  could  remember  of  having  heard  about 
God  and  Jesus  Christ.  He  was  unable  to  read, 
but  gave  the  tracts  to  a  school  teacher.  This 
teacher  became  so  interested  that  at  the  close  of 

47 


Con  n  s  e  J  to  N  e  w  M  i  s  $  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


the  term  lie  came  to  Cliefoo  as  ail  inquirer.  After 
months  of  study  he  was  received  into  the  Church, 
and  returned  to  his  home  to  preach  Jesus.  That 
was  the  beginning  of  a  work  which,  notwithstand¬ 
ing  almost  constant  persecutions,  has  at  the  end 
of  thirty  years  grown  until  there  are  in  that  and 
an  adjoining  county  six  organized  churches,  sup¬ 
plied  with  well-educated  and  faithful  pastors, 
receiving  their  support  wholly  or  largely  from  the 
churches  they  serve.  There  are  also  a  number  of 
Christian  schools  and  members,  scattered  singly 
or  in  groups,  over  much  territory. 

ITINERATION 

In  beginning  a  work  in  a  new  district  where  all 
are  strangers  to  the  truth,  Barnabas  and  Paul  have 
left  an  example  of  priceless  value. 

Traveling  from  city  to  city,  preaching  the  Gos¬ 
pel  in  season  and  out  of  season,  at  the  inns,  tea- 
shops,  on  boats,  by  the  wayside  at  public  markets, 
to  crowds  and  to  individuals,  seeking  in  every  way 
to  disarm  prejudice,  win  confidence,  and  make 
friends  especially  of  men  of  good  reputation  and 
zealous  of  good  works, — all  this  will  soon  show 
the  wisdom  and  necessity  of  the  Lord’s  command, 
“Be  ye  therefore  wise  as  serpents  and  harmless  as 
doves.” 

It  may  be  wise  to  make  long  journeys,  remain¬ 
ing  only  a  short  time  at  important  centres,  in 
order  to  get  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  location 
of  the  cities,  towns  and  villages;  the  occupations 
of  the  people,  their  virtues,  as  well  as  their  defects, 
in  order  to  consider  the  best  methods  likely  to 
influence  and  win  the  people.  Unless  there  is  a 
strong  force  of  missionaries  and  trained  helpers 

48 


Counsel  to  N  e  id  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


to  divide  the  field  and  begin  active  work  in  each 
section  of  it,  it  may  be  best  for  a  time  to  confine 
the  work  to  a  limited  territory,  so  as  to  be  able 
to  visit  the  same  places  again  and  again,  at  short 
and  regular  intervals.  Systematic,  definite  and 
continuous  work  should  ever  be  kept  in  view.  The 
seed  must  not  only  be  widely  sown,  but  guarded 
like  fields  enclosed  by  walls  and  hedges. 

A  matter  of  vital  importance  is  to  make  friends 
in  every  place  of  the  children  and  youth,  and  seek 
to  influence  their  hearts  and  lives  by  the  stories  of 
Christ’s  love,  His  life,  parables  and  precious  prom¬ 
ises.  Whoever  succeeds  in  winning  the  children's 
hearts  has  the  key  to  the  parents’  hearts. 

In  one  village,  where  a  missionary  stopped  for 
noon,  a  package  of  foreign  needles  distributed 
among  some  little  girls  playing  on  the  street,  soon 
brought  not  only  the  older  sisters,  but  the  mothers 
to  the  inn,  and  gave  an  opportunity  to  tell  them 
for  the  first  time  of  Jesus  and  His  love.  In  another 
village,  where  the  night  was  spent,  the  sending  of 
a  well-printed  and  beautifully  illustrated  primer 
to  a  school  brought  all  the  teachers,  pupils  and 
their  parents  to  the  inn,  where  they  had  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  hear  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation.  “Feed 
my  lambs,”  was  the  commission  our  risen  Lord  first 
gave  to  Peter,  as  though  this  claimed  the  first  place 
in  pastoral  and  evangelistic  work.  “The  great 
man  is  he  who  does  not  lose  his  child’s  heart,” 
said  Mencius. 

When  and  wherever  hearts  are  opened  to  receive 
the  truth,  the  utmost  care  must  be  taken  promptly 
to  lead  the  soul  into  the  light,  establish  it  in  the 
faith,  and  guard  against  its  yielding  to  the  mani¬ 
fold  temptations  which  beset  the  young  convert. 

49 


C  o  u  n  s  e  /  to  N  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


BIBLE  AND  INQUIRY  CLASSES 
May  be  the  most  effective  and  practical  means 
of  instructing  and  teaching  souls,  awakened  by 
the  truth.  Care  should  be  taken  to  arrange  for 
the  classes  at  a  time  which  will  least  interfere  with 
the  daily  vocations  of  the  people. 

Let  all  who  desire  to  know  Jesus  be  cordially 
invited  to  come  for  a  month  or  more  as  guests  to 
the  class,  either  at  the  home  of  the  missionary  or 
in  some  central  station.  Let  all  who  are  able  to 
read  be  put  in  classes,  and  assigned  special  les¬ 
sons  to  study  and  prepare  to  be  examined  upon. 
Those  who  cannot  read  must  be  taught  as  children 
in  the  kindergarten.  All  should  be  kept  busy  from 
morning  till  night,  learning  of  God  and  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  what  is  involved  in  living  a  Christian 
life.  Scripture  texts  should  be  memorized  and  all 
taught  daily  to  pray  and  to  sing.  The  evenings 
might  be  profitably  spent  by  each  one  in  turn, 
repeating  a  Bible  story,  and  drawing  from  it  the 
lessons  intended  for  all.  Every  one  should  be  con¬ 
stantly  instructed  in  the  individual  responsibility 
of  every  soul  to  God,  and  the  obligation  he  is 
under  to  faithfully  teach  each  member  of  his  own 
household  and,  so  far  as  possible,  his  friends  and 
neighbors  the  truth  he  himself  has  learned. 

It  may  be  well  to  invite  those  who  have  fully 
accepted  the  truth  and  shown  themselves  able  to 
teach  others  to  attend  yearly  advanced  classes  that 
they  be  trained  to  become  efficient  and  well- 
instructed  station  leaders,  and  still  later  be  quali¬ 
fied  to  hold  office  when  churches  are  organized. 

All  who  receive  persons  into  the  Church  on  a 
credible  profession  of  faith,  and  baptize  them  in 
the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the 

50 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s s i o n a r  i e S 


Holy  Ghost,  should,  with  all  their  hearts,  strive 
to  fully  obey  the  Saviour’s  positive  injunction, 
“Teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever 
I  have  commanded  you.”  To  stop  with  baptism 
and  committing  the  young  converts  to  the  Lord’s 
care,  and  leave  them  to  struggle  and  study  alone, 
perhaps  where  no  church  or  other  Christians  are 
within  reach,  is  to  assume  a  fearful  responsibility. 

Every  missionary  should  be  a  faithful  shepherd, 
and  strive  to  imitate  the  Good  Shepherd  of  whom 
Isaiah  prophesied,  “He  shall  feed  His  flock  like 
a  shepherd ;  He  shall  gather  the  lambs  with  His 
arm  and  carry  them  in  His  bosom.”  “The  care  of 
all  the  churches”  seemed  to  be  the  heaviest  work  of 
the  great  apostle. 

Is  not  one  of  the  lessons  taught  by  the  sudden 
and  terrible  persecution  which  swept  over  North 
China  in  1900,  the  imperative  need  of  more  pas¬ 
toral  oversight  and  grounding  in  scriptural  truth? 

If  all  the  converts  had  been  more  fully  instructed 
in  the  use  of  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  and  daily 
prayerful  waiting  upon  God,  probably  there  would 
have  been  fewer  to  compromise  the  truth  or  deny 
Jesus  when  the  missionaries  were  massacred  or 
compelled  to  flee  for  their  lives. 

NATIVE  EVANGELISTS 

Soundly  converted,  trustworthy,  earnest  Bible 
students,  in  whose  hearts  there  is  a  quenchless  love 
for  Christ  and  love  for  souls,  will  be  found  of 
priceless  value,  and  enable  the  faithful  missionary 
to  do  a  work  he  never  could  have  done  without 
them. 

These  men  know  the  language;  they  understand 
their  own  people;  are  able  to  visit  homes  and  come 

51 


Counsel  to  N  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


in  close  touch  with  many,  as  the  most  gifted  mis¬ 
sionary  cannot  do.  They  can  help,  as  none  others 
can,  in  guarding  the  Church  from  unworthy  mem¬ 
bers.  They  can  go  out  into  the  highways  and 
hedges;  search  for  the  sick,  the  aged,  the  helpless, 
and  “compel  them  to  come”  to  Jesus,  as  no  others 
can. 

The  missionary  who  has  had  the  joy  and  privi¬ 
lege  of  leading  men,  called  of  God,  to  know  and 
accept  of  Jesus,  and  of  helping  to  educate  and 
train  them  for  effective  work,  will  love  them  as 
Paul  loved  Timothy  and  others  who  shared  his  love 
and  friendship  and,  under  his  direction,  were  able 
to  organize  churches  and  ordain  pastors  and  elders. 

In  assigning  the  native  helpers  their  special 
fields  of  labor,  the  missionary  will,  naturally,  visit 
and  be  a  co-laborer  with  them  whenever  possible, 
and  will  try  to  arrange  for  their  spiritual  nourish¬ 
ment  and  growth  in  grace  by  assigning  special 
courses  of  Bible  study  to  carry  on  at  all  times,  and 
will  have  all  to  meet  at  stated  periods,  for  a  few 
days  or  weeks,  for  the  special  study  of  God’s  word, 
for  prayer  and  conference  and  whatever  may  prom¬ 
ise  to  hasten  the  coming  of  Christ’s  kingdom.  His 
joy  will  overflow  when  the  churches  have  reached 
the  point  of  self-support  and  have  God-called  and 
qualified  men  fitted  for  the  pastoral  oversight. 

EDUCATION 

Christian  schools  for  the  education  of  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  converts  and  for  others  who  can  be  per¬ 
suaded  to  attend,  where  the  Bible  daily  holds  an 
important  place,  are  a  necessity  for  aggressive  and 
permanent  work.  Every  missionary  who  is  called 
to  itinerate  and  superintend  large  districts,  will 

.  52 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s s i o n a  r  i e s 


be  compelled  to  give  attention  to  the  establishment 
and  carrying  on  of  Christian  schools.  If  possible, 
the  educational  work  should  be  chiefly  under  the 
control  of  men  and  women  who  love  this  work; 
have  ability  to  teach;  and  thoroughly  believe  in 
education  as  a  powerful  means  of  preaching  the 
Gospel  and  evangelizing  the  nations. 

Only  Christian  teachers,  established  in  the  faith, 
able  to  live  consistent  lives,  and  well  qualified  to 
teach,  should  be  employed.  They  should  be  taught 
how  best  to  instruct,  stimulate  and  encourage  every 
pupil  to  make  the  best  possible  use  of  every  hour, 
and  so  to  train  them  that,  whatever  may  be  their 
future  calling,  Jesus  will  ever  hold  the  chief  place 
in  their  thoughts  and  be  glorified  by  their  lives. 

Every  school  should  be  well  organized.  A  cur¬ 
riculum  carefully  prepared  and  followed.  The 
pupils  should  be  carefully  examined  on  each  study 
by  the  missionary  or  some  qualified  and  reliable 
man.  A  careful  record  should  be  kept,  so  that  at 
a  glance  the  standing  and  conduct  of  each  pupil 
can  be  known.  Discipline  should  be  enforced  and 
the  school  so  superintended  that  the  teacher, 
pupils,  parents  and  everybody  will  know  beyond  a 
doubt  that  such  schools  require  faithful  and  con¬ 
stant  work  from  the  teacher  and  hard  work  from 
pupils,  and  that  idleness  and  failure  on  the  part 
of  anyone  means  dismissal  from  the  school. 

Better  have  no  schools  than  those  where  no  true 
and  useful  education  is  given,  or  where  habits  of  in¬ 
dustry  and  energy  are  not  formed.  There  should  be 
an  unceasing  guard  against  shallowness.  Ileart- 
work  in  education  is  a  necessity.  Parents  should, 
from  first  to  last,  be  taught  the  duty,  the  privilege 
and  blessing  of  each  doing  his  full  duty  in  con- 

53 


Counsel  to  N  e  ir  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


tributing  to  the  support  of  the  school.  Help  should 
only  follow  and  supplement  the  gifts  of  the  people 
themselves.  Every  Christian  convert  should  be  well 
grounded,  from  the  first,  in  regard  to  what  the 
Scriptures  teach  in  giving  to  the  support  of  the 
Gospel.  The  blessing  promised  to  the  liberal  giver 
should  not  be  denied  even  to  those  in  the  deepest 
poverty. 

MEDICAL  WORK 

Jesus  “ordained  twelve  that  they  should  be  with 
Him,  and  that  He  might  send  them  forth  to  preach, 
and  He  gave  them  power  to  heal  sicknesses.” 

There  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  importance 
and  value  of  medical  work  as  a  powerful  evan¬ 
gelizing  agency. 

The  wards  of  a  hospital  certainly  give  a  grand 
opportunity  for  direct  personal  dealing  with  pre¬ 
cious  souls.  This  work  itself  is  a  form  of  preach¬ 
ing  that  every  individual,  however  ignorant  or 
superstitious,  can  understand  and  appreciate.  It 
is  a  visible  exemplification  of  love,  the  greatest 
power  in  the  world. 

In  the  year  1871  it  was  my  great  privilege  to 
spend  some  time  with  the  late  Dr.  J.  G.  Kerr  at 
Canton,  and  witness  his  method  of  work. 

On  dispensing  days  all  who  came  for  treatment 
first  entered  the  chapel  and  were  seated  in  the 
order  of  arrival.  Evangelists  took  turns  in  preach¬ 
ing,  telling  of  the  great  physician  of  souls,  and 
pressing  the  truth  upon  every  hearer.  When  the 
hour  arrived  to  open  the  dispensary,  ten  persons 
at  a  time,  in  the  order  in  which  they  arrived,  were 
allowed  to  pass  through  a  side-door,  which  led  into 
the  dispensary.  They  were  received  by  ten  native 

54 


C  o  u  n  s  e  /  t  o  N  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


physicians,  in  independent  practice  either  in  the  city 
or  adjacent  towns.  These  men  had  received  their 
medical  instruction  from  Dr.  Kerr  and,  instead 
of  paying  tuition,  had  pledged  themselves  to  return 
on  dispensing  days  and  give  their  services  free 
during  a  period  of  three  years.  The  native  doctors 
were  able  to  deal  with  the  great  majority  of  the 
patients;  only  the  most  difficult  cases  were  shown 
into  Dr.  Kerr’s  room.  Ife  either  prescribed  for 
them,  or  sent  them  to  the  hospital.  Upward  of 
two  hundred  came  each  day  during  my  visit  there. 
The  hospital,  at  that  time,  had  accommodation 
for  one  hundred  patients,  and  every  bed  was  occu¬ 
pied.  Dr.  Kerr  seemed  to  improve  every  moment 
during  the  day.  His  skill  in  surgery  has  given 
him  a  world-wide  reputation.  When  not  using  the 
knife,  his  frequent  visits  among  the  patients  and 
kindly  and  sympathetic  greetings  seemed  to  bring 
joy  and  hope  to  all  the  suffering  ones.  Often  was 
he  seen  kneeling  beside  a  bed,  in  earnest  prayer, 
and  telling  of  the  Saviour’s  love. 

All  the  native  physicians  and  nurses  seemed  to 
know  just  what  to  do,  and,  like  their  chief,  con¬ 
cerned  for  both  the  body  and  soul  of  every  patient. 

Every  day  of  the  week,  and  every  hour,  seemed 
to  be  spent  in  trying  to  save  life,  alleviate  suffering, 
and  in  preaching  and  living  the  Gospel  as  Christ 
preached  and  lived  it. 

On  Sabbath  morning,  after  prayers  with  t lie 
patients,  I  went  with  Dr.  Kerr  to  a  large  chapel, 
on  a  great  thoroughfare.  As  soon  as  the  door  was 
opened,  people  began  to  assemble,  and  continued 
until  I  had  counted  about  five  hundred  persons. 
Many  of  them  had  been  treated  at  the  dispensary 
or  hospital,  or  some  of  their  kindred  and  friends 

55 


Counsel  to  N  e  iv  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


had,  and  they  felt  that  the  doctor  was  their  true 
friend  and  would  not  deceive  them. 

Dr.  Kerr  took  the  story  of  the  prodigal  son  as  his 
subject,  and  spoke  with  such  tremendous  earnest¬ 
ness  that  all  were  compelled  to  listen,  and  the 
majority  of  the  audience  remained  seated  until  he 
had  finished. 

Dr.  Kerr  came  to  China  when  a  young  man, 
after  taking  the  most  thorough  course  in  medicine 
our  country  afforded.  He  prepared  himself  by 
such  a  thorough  study  of  the  language,  as  not  only 
to  be  able  to  speak  well,  but  also  to  be  able  to  trans¬ 
late  and  write  medical  text-books  and  train  class 
after  class  in  medicine  in  their  native  tongue. 
He  also  knew  his  Bible  thoroughly :  believed  with 
his  whole  heart  that  the  imperative  need  of  every¬ 
one  is  to  know  Christ,  and  continued  for  forty- 
seven  years  to  glorify  his  Saviour,  by  giving  him¬ 
self  so  unreservedly  to  saving  the  bodies  and  souls 
of  the  Chinese  that,  except  in  emergency  cases,  lie 
had  no  time  to  engage  in  practice  in  the  families 
of  foreign  merchants,  officials  and  others  who 
would  gladly  have  paid  richly  for  the  skill  of  such 
a  physician  but  who  had  other  doctors. 

The  missionary  physicians  should  have  the 
hearty  sympathy  and  cooperation  of  all  co-laborers. 
And  this  should  be  mutual. 

The  ordained  men,  native  evangelists,  Bible 
women  and  all  church  members  should  unite,  so 
far  as  possible,  in  visiting  homes,  itinerating,  and 
in  every  way  make  the  most  of  the  good  impres¬ 
sions  made  by  the  medical  work,  and  present  to  all 
the  divine  remedy  for  sin-sick  souls. 


56 


Counsel  to  N  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  c  s 


IN  CONCLUSION 

All  should  constantly  remember  that  “there  is 
diversity  of  gifts,  hut  the  same  spirit.” 

Watchwords  for  all  coming  years  should  he  hid¬ 
den  in  every  heart.  More  love  for  Christ  ;  stronger 
faith;  instant  obedience  to  the  call  of  duty;  ever 
about  “my  Father’s  business.” 

“Without  Me  ye  can  do  nothing” ;  “I  can  do  all 
things  through  Christ  which  strengthened  me” ; 
“For  the  Son  of  man  is  come  to  seek  and  to  save 
that  which  was  lost.” 

Our  resources  are  in  God  with  whom  “all  things 
are  possible.”  “I  will  never  leave  thee,  nor  for¬ 
sake  thee.” 

All  must  “lay  hold  upon  the  hope  set  before  us, 
which  hope  we  have,  as  an  anchor  to  the  soul,  both 
sure  and  steadfast.” 

There  must  be  wise  adaptation  to  present  condi¬ 
tions.  Methods  successful  in  former  years  may 
require  modification  or  entire  change. 

Every  missionary  is  called  upon  to  “endure  hard¬ 
ness  as  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ.”  Every 
believer  is  chosen  to  be  a  soldier,  and  must  strive 
lawfully  for  masteries.  “The  weapons  of  our  war¬ 
fare  are  not  carnal,  but  mighty  through  God  to 
the  pulling  down  of  strongholds.”  Yet,  valuable 
lessons  may  be  learned  from  military  life.  A  field 
officer  conducting  a  campaign  aims  for  impreg¬ 
nable  positions.  A  missionary  must  plan  to  attack 
heathenism  in  strongholds,  and  plan  for  victory. 
An  aggressive  and  incessant  struggle  cannot  be 
long  carried  on  by  remaining  in  fortified  positions. 

Lord  Kitchener’s  conquest  of  the  Soudan  was 
preceded  by  years  of  the  most  careful  and  pains¬ 
taking  preparation.  “So  carefully  were  the  dif- 

57 


C  o  u  n  set  to  N  c  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  .s* 


ferent  branches  of  the  service  coordinated,  so  thor¬ 
oughly  did  each  serve  and  support  every  other 
arm,  that  the  invasion  went  forward  with  all  the 
irresistible  steadiness  of  a  tidal  wave.”  Napoleon 
won  victories  by  concentrating  his  troops  on  one 
point.  The  ablest  general  cannot  conquer  without 
well-trained  and  loyal  soldiers.  Neither  can  the 
missionary  accomplish  Ids  work  unaided  and  alone. 
His  study  should  ever  be  to  develop  and  employ  to 
the  utmost  the  talents  of  every  member,  so  as 
to  ably  assist  in  the  Church’s  development  and 
aggressive  work.  There  should  be  united  hearts, 
genuine  sympathy  and  cooperation  among  all  the 
missionaries  and  native  members.  Each  one  should 
do  his  utmost  to  make  Christ  glorious,  and  unceas¬ 
ingly  remember  that  “Where  t lie  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
is,  there  is  liberty.”  Each  is  called  to  be  an  ambas¬ 
sador  for  Christ,  and  use  the  special  talent  God 
lias  given  him  to  lead  men  to  Christ.  The  Church 
is  Christ’s  body.  Every  member  has  its  specific 
work.  “To  every  man  his  work,”  is  the  divine 
order.  Everyone  who  thanks  God,  as  Paul  did, 
for  appointing  him  a  preacher — and  “a  teacher  of 
the  Gentiles” — will  be  so  intent  in  running  the 
race  set  before  him,  “ever  looking  unto  Jesus  the 
Author  and  Finisher  of  our  faith,”  that  there  will 
be  no  room  for  jealousy,  envy  and  cold  criticism, 
which  are  like  a  dagger  to  the  sensitive  heart. 

The  keynote  to  all  noble  character  is  masterly 
self-control.  Failure  here  means  to  be  a  captive. 
Strife  among  missionaries  is  a  fearful  obstacle  to 
the  spread  of  the  Gospel  and  the  death-blow  to  the 
calmness,  peace  and  mutual  help,  all  so  much 
needed. 


58 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


Happy  indeed  is  the  missionary  who  has  learned 
the  art  of  living  at  peace  with  his  colleagues  and 
with  all  others.  Much  of  the  happiness  of  life 
consists  in  the  ability  to  make  true  and  lasting- 
friends,  and  being  able  to  keep  friendship  always 
in  good  repair.  This  requires  such  a  bridling  of 
the  tongue  as  to  remain  silent  in  regard  to  each 
other’s  weaknesses,  and  to  be  tolerant  and  tender 
in  regard  to  points  of  difference.  What  a  changed 
world  this  would  be  if  it  could  be  said  of  every 
Christian  as  Solomon  said  of  the  virtuous  woman, 
‘‘In  her  tongue  is  the  law  of  kindness.” 

Obedience  to  Christ’s  often-repeated  command, 
“Love  one  another,”  will  help  us  to  obey  the  com¬ 
mands,  “Be  ye  kind  one  to  another,  tender-hearted, 
forgiving  one  another,  even  as  God,  for  Christ’s 
sake  hath  forgiven  you.”  “Let  the  word  of  Christ 
dwell  in  you  richly  in  all  wisdom.”  “And  let  the 
peace  of  God  rule  in  your  hearts.” 


59 


PREREQUISITES  AND  PRINCIPLES  OF 
EVANGELIZATION 

By  the  Rev.  S.  A.  Moffett,  D.  D of  Korea 


()  the  missionary,  of  all  persons,  is  given  the 


position  of  greatest  privilege,  provided  that 
his  whole  heart  and  life  are  given  unreservedly  to 
the  preaching  of  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ. 
He  cannot  undulv  magnify  his  office,  for  he  is  “the 
glory  of  Christ In  so  far  as  he  appreciates  the 
greatness  and  the  honor  of  his  calling,  just  so  far 
will  he  appreciate  also  his  own  insufficiency,  and 
thus  be  led,  in  all  sincerity,  to  seek  that  sufficiency 
which  is  in  Christ. 

Twelve  years  on  the  mission  field,  in  the  midst 
of  a  work  which  wonderfully  evidences  the  great 
power  of  the  Gospel  as  the  God-ordained  means 
for  the  salvation  of  man,  have  impressed  me  with 
the  profound  importance  of  a  few  ideas  which 
should  dominate  the  missionary  and  determine  the 
attitude  of  mind  and  the  spirit  most  essential  to 
him. 

I  shall  ever  be  grateful  to  Dr.  Herrick  Johnson 
for  the  expression,  “A  vivid  and  abiding  sense  of 
the  divine  reality  of  the  Gospel  message,”  for 
therein  he  has  clearly  expressed  what  it  is  most 
important  that  the  missionary  should  cultivate. 

The  man  who  has  obtained  from  a  reverent  study 
of  the  Scriptures,  as  the  Word  of  God,  a  deep 
impression  of  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin,  of 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  N  e  ir  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


the  awfulness  of  its  punishment,  the  wrath  of  God, 
of  the  reality  of  repentance,  and  of  God’s  promise 
of  absolute  remission  of  sin  to  the  truly  penitent, 
of  the  one  and  only  way  of  salvation  through  faith 
in  Christ;  who  has  reached  the  profound  convic¬ 
tion  that  God  is  able  and  willing  to  save  all  who 
come  unto  Him  by  Christ,  and  that  this  gospel 
only  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation ;  and  who 
combines  with  this  a  vivid  and  an  abiding  sense  of 
the  reality  of  these  truths,  has  the  first  and  chief 
requisite  for  usefulness  as  a  missionary,  a  requi¬ 
site  without  which,  however  energetic  and  gifted 
and  studious  he  may  be,  be  will  fail  to  affect  pro¬ 
foundly  the  people  to  whom  he  goes;  that  is,  affect 
profoundly  for  their  salvation. 

One  needs  to  cultivate  and  conserve  this  con¬ 
viction,  for  upon  this  Satan  makes  his  chief  attack, 
knowing  that  in  so  far  as  he  weaken  this  convic¬ 
tion,  in  so  far  he  has  blunted  the  most  formidable 
weapon  in  the  hands  of  the  missionary  in  his  war¬ 
fare  against  sin  and  Satan’s  dominion  over  heathen¬ 
dom. 

I  am  convinced  that  the  greatest  need  today  is 
unquestioning  reliance  upon  the  gospel  itself,  the 
Word  of  God  in  its  principal  teachings  of  Sin  and 
Salvation ;  a  belief  that  when  God  ordained  that 
by  the  foolishness  of  preaching  men  were  to  be 
saved,  He  ordained  that  which  He  knew  to  be  the 
best  agency  for  the  leading  of  men  to  Christ;  a 
belief  that  the  Spirit  of  God  does  and  will  honor 
the  use  of  the  Word  of  God  alone,  and  that  in  so 
far  as  we  trust  in  secondary  agencies  for  reclaim¬ 
ing  the  heathen,  in  so  far  we  have  given  up  faith 
in  the  primary  agency,  and  have  prevented  the 
Spirit  of  God  from  making  use  of  that  which  God 

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ordained  should  be  the  means  for  the  salvation  of 
the  world. 

I  believe  that  what  lias  militated  most  against 
the  evangelization  of  the  world  has  been  a  lack  of 
faith  in  the  power  of  the  gospel  itself,  a  belief 
(not  acknowledged,  nor  consciously  held,  but  never¬ 
theless  real)  that  there  must  be  something  used 
as  a  bait  to  bring  people  under  the  power  of  the 
gospel,  that  secondary  agencies  which  appeal  to 
the  natural  man  must  be  used  as  an  attraction 
which  will  dispose  favorably  to  a  hearing  of  the 
gospel,  and  that  then  the  gospel  is  to  be  presented. 

There  has  been  too  often  a  relegating  of  the 
gospel  (not  avowedly,  but  practically)  to  the 
secondary  place,  an  elimination  to  too  large  an 
extent  of  the  very  means  and  the  only  means  which 
the  Spirit  of  God  lias  given  us  to  believe  that  He 
will  use  to  bring  souls  into  reconciliation  with 
God. 

The  missionary  needs  to  cultivate,  by  thought 
and  prayer  and  reading,  this  conviction  as  to  the 
primary  place  of  the  gospel,  making  it  a  practical 
reality  in  his  mental  and  spiritual  life,  and  watch¬ 
ing  constantly  against  everything  that  may  tend 
to  weaken  this  conviction. 

With  such  a  conviction  dominating  one’s  life 
and  deepening  as  the  years  go  by,  and  with  the 
determination  to  make  it  the  one  chief  interest, 
the  all-absorbing  task  of  one’s  life  to  preach  this 
gospel  and  to  bring  it  into  contact  with  the  people, 
knowing  for  a  certainty  that  it  cannot  fail  to  have 
its  effect  upon  their  hearts  and  lives,  the  missionary 
has  before  him  a.  field  of  effort  which  promises  a 
life  of  the  very  greatest  satisfaction  and  happiness. 

He  will  find,  however,  that  coincident  with  this 

62 


G  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  X  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


life  there  will  be  required  the  maintenance  of  his 
own  spiritual  life,  the  deepening’  of  his  own  spiri¬ 
tual  convictions,  and  the  resistance  of  most  subtle, 
unexpected  and  unprovided-for  temptations. 

Should  his  field  of  labor  be  in  a  treaty  port  or 
in  a  city  where  lie  is  brought  much  into  contact 
with  the  world  of  western  life  and  institutions,  he 
will  find  one  set  of  temptations,  while  if  in  the 
interior,  isolated  from  all  contact  with  the  western 
world,  and  thrown  for  companionship  upon  the 
resources  of  a  small  missionary  community  and  the 
native  Christians,  he  will  meet  with  other  tempta¬ 
tions,  less  marked,  but,  perhaps,  so  much  the  more 
insidious. 

If  the  former,  the  Master’s  prayer  for  us  that 
though  in  the  world  A\e  may  be  kept  from  the  evil 
must  be  eA’er  before  us.  One  cannot  be  too  par¬ 
ticular  in  keeping  out  of  touch  with  the  evil  of  the 
world;  in  maintaining  that  sanctity  of  character 
which  makes  the  things  of  the  world  something 
apart  from  his  life,  even  though  brought  into  con¬ 
tact  with  men  of  the  world  in  many  relations.  Dr. 
Maltbie  Babcock’s  reasons  for  not  smoking  give 
expression  to  a  principle  upon  which  many  of  the 
temptations  to  a  conformity  to  the  world  can  be 
met  and  conquered:  “A  man  cannot  afford  as  the 
ambassador  of  Christ  to  compromise  his  influence 
for  that  which  is  highest,  holiest,  best.” 

The  natural,  frank,  sincerely  courteous  and  po¬ 
lite  attitude  of  one  whose  life  has  been  lifted  above 
an  inner  contact  AA’ith  the  world,  however  much  of 
association  there  may  be  necessarily  in  the  daily 
life,  is  the  attitude  which  Avill  establish  and  main¬ 
tain  one’s  spiritual  influence.  The  “Sky  Pilot”  Avas 
in  closest  sympathy  and  touch  with  his  fellow-men, 

63 


Counsel  to  N  e  w  M  issio  navies 


but  wholly  untouched  by  the  evil  which  surrounded 
him  and  engulfed  them. 

No  man  can  maintain  this  attitude  and  exert  a 
real  spiritual  influence  under  such  circumstances 
unless  he  spends  much  time  in  communion  with  the 
Master  in  prayer  and  devotional  reading,  and  he 
who  must  necessarily  spend  a  part  of  his  time  in 
such  contact  with  the  world  needs  to  spend  a  double 
portion  of  time  in  contact  with  the  holiest  and  pur¬ 
est  in  order  to  counteract  the  unconscious  deterior¬ 
ation  in  his  own  spiritual  ideals. 

Doubtless  the  missionary  has  a  duty  to  his  fel¬ 
low-countrymen  on  mission  fields,  but  a  far  greater 
and  more  important  duty — the  primary  duty — 
which  faces  him  is  that  of  coming  into  contact  with 
and  living  for  the  native  people.  His  fellow-coun¬ 
trymen,  however  much  in  need  of  spiritual  influ¬ 
ence,  have  all  heard  the  Gospel,  and  the  missionary 
is  there  primarily  that  he  may  preach  the  Gospel 
to  those  who  have  not  heard ;  and  nothing  ought  to 
stand  between  him  and  the  close  contact  with  them, 
the  sympathetic  entrance  into  their  inner  life,  their 
ways  of  thinking,  their  weaknesses,  prejudices  and 
preferences,  their  trials,  sorrows  and  spiritual 
struggles. 

We  must  cultivate  a  real  love  and  sympathy,  not 
an  abstract  interest,  in  the  heathen  as  so  many 
people  to  be  converted,  baptized  and  reported  upon 
as  so  much  in  the  way  of  mission  assets,  but  a  liv- 
ing,  real,  close,  sympathetic  touch  with  individuals 
with  a  view  to  the  transforming  of  their  lives 
through  a  personal  faith  in  Christ.  This  is  some¬ 
thing  which  cannot  be  feigned ;  it  must  be  real,  for 
heathen  are  like  children  in  that  they  know  intui¬ 
tively  whether  you  love  them.  Such  a  real  sympa- 

64 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  N  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


thy  and  love  must  be  the  outgrowth  of  deep  per¬ 
sonal  convictions  of  truth  and  of  a  personal  life  of 
faith  and  of  fellowship  with  Christ. 

Given  this  sympathy  and  love,  recognized  by  the 
people,  and  one’s  influence  can  be  tremendously  ex¬ 
erted  as  an  influence  for  righteousness.  Plain 
frank  presentation  of  the  truth  of  their  awful  con¬ 
dition  in  sin  and  of  their  personal  responsibility 
will  be  met  with  deepest  respect  for  the  man,  even 
though  the  message  rouses  anger  and  hatred  against 
the  plain  truth  spoken.  Erring,  sinning  Christians 
may  be  most  plainly  and  firmly  dealt  with,  and  they 
will  love  and  respect  you,  even  though  they  may 
deeply  resent  the  admonition  and  discipline  admin¬ 
istered. 

We  need  to  cultivate  a  strong  faith,  a  victorious, 
enthusiastic  faith — a  faith  in  t lie  power  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  itself  to  carry  conviction  to  the  heart  of  any 
man  and  to  do  for  the  heathen  all  that  it  has  done 
and  now  does  for  us.  We  need  to  believe  and  act 
upon  the  belief  that  it  can  transform  character, 
lead  to  true  repentance  and  hatred  of  sin,  give 
strength  to  resist  temptation  and  overcome  sin,  up¬ 
hold  in  a  consistent  Christian  life,  and  comfort  and 
sustain  in  the  midst  of  persecution,  trial,  sorrow 
and  loss. 

In  the  face  of  prominent  failures,  in  spite  of  dis¬ 
appointments,  one  needs  to  grasp  with  a  firm  faith 
the  fact  that  the  Spirit  of  God  can  and  does  show 
his  own  great  power  in  the  lives  of  others  and  that 
through  the  exercise  of  faith  these  people  can  and 
do  reach  the  same  heights  of  spiritual  attainment 
and  enter  into  the  same  appreciation  of  spiritual 
truth  which  we  do.  Alas!  too  many  lose  faith,  ex¬ 
pect  little,  grow  almost  discouraged.  I  am  in  re- 

65 


Counsel  to  N e w  Missionaries 


ceipt  of  a  letter  from  a  friend  in  another  mission, 
who  writes  of  “some  whom  long  years  of  waiting 
have,  rather,  not  discouraged,  but  disciplined  to  ex¬ 
pect  little.”  Against  such  a  state  of  mind  I  would 
strive  with  incessant  prayer.  However  long  the 
period  of  waiting,  I  believe  we  should  cultivate  a 
faith  which  expects  great  things  and  knows  that 
God  will  grant  great  things.  Faith  is  the  evidence 
of  things  not  seen,  and  although  the  results  may  not 
have  come,  the  Spirit-filled  vision  can  see  them,  and 
with  a  buoyant  enthusiasm  can  conquer  all  feelings 
of  depression  and  discouragement.  The  heart  is 
taken  out  of  one’s  work;  it  becomes  mere  routine 
and  drudgery  if  faith  has  been  undermined. 

Enthusiastic  faith  should  be  cultivated.  Enthu¬ 
siasm  may  be  more  natural  to  some  natures  than 
to  others,  but  it  is  an  element  which  adds  to  one’s 
influence  for  good  and  to  one’s  power  in  communi¬ 
cating  faith  and  zeal.  How  a  real  faith  can  fail  of 
enthusiasm  is  a  mystery  to  me.  There  is  far  more 
of  unbelief  in  our  minds  than  we  are  often  aware 
of,  and  this  unconscious  or  unrecognized  unbelief 
will  often  explain  the  failure  to  receive  a  blessing. 
“He  could  not  do  many  mighty  works  there  because 
of  their  unbelief 

God  delights  to  honor  faith.  He  cannot  work 
mightily  in  the  presence  of  unbelief.  Our  own  lack 
of  faith  shuts  out  the  power  of  God. 

I  would  urge  also  concentration  of  effort  upon 
the  one  great  object  of  the  missionary’s  life,  viz. : 
the  evangelization  of  the  people.  Here  the  tempta¬ 
tions  are  innumerable,  but  recognizing  one’s  limita¬ 
tions  and  knowing  that  he  cannot  be  a  specialist 
in  many  departments,  if  he  is  to  give  himself  pri¬ 
marily  to  the  evangelization  of  the  people,  he  must 

66 


Counsel  to  'New  Missionaries 


be  willing  to  cut  liimself  off  from  many  attractive 
lines  of  study  in  order  that  he  may  acquire  the  lan¬ 
guage  well,  may  give  thorough  study  to  the  Bible, 
and  may  have  time  for  contact  with  and  life  among 
the  people. 

The  temptations  to  turn  aside  from  the  one  great 
commission  to  “preach  the  Word”  are  constant  and 
plausible.  Education,  literature,  language,  science, 
history  and  philanthropy  all  present  their  claims, 
and  unless  they  are  determinedly  recognized  as  sec¬ 
ondary  or  as  side  issues  and  kept  in  their  proper 
place,  they  will  supersede  the  primary  work  in  the 
amount  of  time  and  effort  that  they  monopolize  and 
will  relegate  that  which  is  first  to  the  second  place. 
Even  the  education  of  men  with  a  view  to  the  min¬ 
istry,  an  essential  part  of  the  evangelistic  work, 
may  become  merely  educational  instead  of  evangel¬ 
istic — education  rather  than  evangelization  becom¬ 
ing  the  end. 

Often  the  side  issue  is  taken  up  as  a  recreation 
thoroughly  legitimate  and  profitable,  but  these  side 
issues  are  always  wliat  appear  to  the  natural  man 
and  before  one  knows  it  his  zeal  for  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel  has  become  cooled,  his  chief  work 
loses  its  attraction,  and  his  main  interest  is  being- 
absorbed  in  the  side  issue,  while  the  spiritual  work, 
the  soul  and  soul  contact  with  the  heathen,  becomes 
a  sort  of  drudgery  or  mere,  professional  work.  What 
we  need  is  to  have  our  life  interest,  our  all-absorb¬ 
ing  passion  the  work  of  soul-saving,  of  soul-develop¬ 
ing.  When  one’s  best  efforts  go  into  some  secon¬ 
dary  line  of  work  his  power  for  evangelization  has 
been  surrendered.  There  are  a  few  of  course  whose 
time  must  be  given  to  literary  work  in  the  transla¬ 
tion  of  the  Scriptures,  preparation  of  Christian  lit- 

67 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s s i o n a r i e s 


erature  and  text-books,  and  to  the  educational  and 
medical  work  as  factors  in  the  great  work  of  evan¬ 
gelization,  but  this  is  the  call  of  but  few. 

The  temptations  to  separate  one’s  self  from  the 
first  and  most  essential  work  of  the  direct  evangeli- 
zation  of  a  people  are  so  constant,  so  plausible,  so 
insidious,  that  it  will  require  the  most  positive  con¬ 
victions,  the  most  exalted  idea  of  the  magnitude  of 
the  office,  the  most  careful  cultivation  of  a  deter¬ 
mination  not  to  be  turned  aside,  if  one  does  not  find 
himself  yielding  to  these  temptations  and  settling- 
down  to  a  life  of  routine  work  apart  from  the  peo¬ 
ple,  to  a  contact  with  very  few,  to  a  life  supposedly 
of  more  far-reaching  influence,  relegating  the  direct 
evangelistic  work  to  a  secondary  place  and  leaving 
it  to  be  carried  on  only  by  the  native  preachers 
and  helpers. 

The  time  will  come  when  the  native  church  will 
be  able  to  cope  with  the  problem  of  evangelization ; 
but  with  the  great  mass  of  heathen  in  China,  India, 
Korea,  Japan,  Africa  and  elsewhere,  who  have  not 
yet  even  heard  of  the  gospel,  the  missionary  must 
himself  preach  the  gospel  and  establish  the  church 
as  his  first  work,  in  the  belief  that  the  gospel  itself 
is  the  primary  need  of  the  heathen  world.  Then 
will  the  church  thus  established  be  imbued  with  the 
same  belief  and  become  a  great  evangelizing  agen¬ 
cy. 

In  order  to  do  this  certain  distinctions  must  be 
clearly  made  and  kept  constantly  in  mind.  One 
must  clearly  see  that  reformation  is  not  redemp¬ 
tion.  Salvation  from  sin,  not  mere  moral  reforma¬ 
tion,  is  the  essence  of  the  gospel  message.  Again, 
Civilization  is  not  Christianity.  Western  ideas, 
customs  and  inventions  are  not  an  essential  part  of 

68 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s s i o n a  r  i  e s 


Christianity.  In  fact,  many  Oriental  ideas  and  cus¬ 
toms  conform  much  more  nearly  to  the  scriptural 
ideas  than  do  some  of  the  peculiar  notions  and  cus¬ 
toms  of  the  Western  world,  and  the  introduction 
of  much  that  is  considered  a  part  of  Western  Civili¬ 
zation  is  a  hindrance  rather  than  a  help  to  spiritual 
life.  We  are  not  commissioned  to  introduce  West¬ 
ern  Civilization,  but  Scriptural  Christianity. 

Another  vital  distinction  to  he  made  is  that  Edu¬ 
cation  is  not  Regeneration.  We  are  not  called  upon 
to  provide  a  secular  education  for  heathen,  but  we 
are  commissioned  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  heath¬ 
en  and  to  establish  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ.  We 
might  educate  the  heathen  for  centuries  and  yet  fail 
to  establish  the  church,  but  we  cannot  establish  the 
church  without  seeing  Christian  education  for  its 
own  people  a  natural  and  necdssary  outgrowth. 

We  need  to  recognize  also  that  we  are  not  sent  to 
apologize  for  Christ  or  for  Christianity.  We  are  to  * 
proclaim  Him  and  it.  We  can  rest  upon  the  self- 
evidencing  power  of  the  Bible,  upon  the  teaching  of 
nature  and  conscience  as  to  the  existence  of  God 
and  the  fact  of  sin.  We  need  not  argue  these  points, 
but  preach  what  God  has  revealed,  believing  that 
the  Spirit  of  God,  not  our  arguments,  will  convict 
of  sin  and  lead  to  faith  in  Christ.  God,  the  inspira¬ 
tion  of  the  Scriptures,  sin,  and  man’s  need  of  salva¬ 
tion,  are  facts  to  be  proclaimed,  not  propositions  to 
be  proved.  Let  us  accept  Dr.  Chalmers’  statement 
and  act  upon  it :  “We  firmly  believe  that  there  is 
no  one  position  in  theology  which  can  be  more 
strongly  and  more  philosophically  sustained  than 
the  self-evidencing  power  of  the  Bible.” 

There  is  need  on  the  mission  field  of  men  who  will 
not  compromise  with  sin— men  who  will  set  up  the 

69 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


scriptural  standard  which  God  lias  set  up  and  will 
not  deviate  one  wliit  from  that  standard  in  their  re¬ 
quirements.  Whatever  may  be  the  peculiar  con¬ 
ditions  in  heathendom,  we  have  no  authority  for  let¬ 
ting  down  the  divine  standard  on  moral  questions, 
on  the  marriage  relation,  on  drunkenness,  on  the 
Sabbath.  Lenient  and  loving  as  we  may  be  in  deal¬ 
ing  with  Christians  who  have  fallen  into  sin  and 
come  short  of  the  requirements  of  God’s  law,  yet  in 
the  discipline  of  those  who  sin,  the  failure  to  set 
up  the  one  standard  and  to  brand  as  sin  anything 
short  of  that  standard,  is  to  undermine  the  whole 
foundation  of  Christian  morality  and  Christian 
character,  and  to  build  a  church  on  no  spiritual 
foundations,  weak,  and  powerless  as  a  moral  or 
spiritual  force.  Better  for  a  Gideon’s  band  of  men 
thoroughly  determined  to  strive  for  the  highest  and 
holiest  attainments  along  these  lines  than  a  whole 
•  host  of  nominal  Christians,  satisfied  to  come  short, 
taught  that  they  may  with  impunity  come  short  of 
the  divine  standard — men  who  have  committed 
spiritual  suicide  by  a  deliberate  giving  up  of  the 
law  of  God  as  the  standard  of  Christian  living. 
“Never  couple  faith  in  the  atonement  of  Christ  with 
a  feeling  of  security  in  the  violation  of  a  single  com¬ 
mandment,”  is  an  exhortation  given  by  Dr.  Chal¬ 
mers,  which  we  need  to  reflect  upon. 

A  missionary  should  be  willing  to  make  great 
personal  sacrifice  for  the  work’s  sake.  The  life  of 
sacrifice  only  begins  with  the  renunciation  of  the 
home  land  and  the  sharing  of  the  lives  of  loved  ones 
at  home  when  all  the  ties  formed  from  childhood  up 
to  the  time  of  departure  for  the  field  are  broken. 
Hard  as  that  one  supreme  act  of  sacrifice  may  seem, 
it  is  vastly  easier  than  to  lead  a  life  of  daily  sacri- 

70 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  N  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


fice,  of  daily  self-renunciation,  of  daily  self-efface¬ 
ment  for  the  work’s  sake ;  and  yet  perhaps  no  one 
attitude  of  mind  will  do  more  towards  making  one 
a  telling  factor  in  the  work  and  a  helpful,  useful, 
lovable  member  of  a  mission  station. 

The  relation  to  one's  fellow  missionaries  is  one 
of  the  most  delicate  and  yet  most  pertinent  ques¬ 
tions  which  meets  one  on  the  mission  field — a  ques¬ 
tion  of  daily  and  hourly  importance.  One's  fellow- 
workers  are  not  of  one’s  own  choosing.  The  exi¬ 
gencies  of  the  work  and  the  conditions  of  the  field, 
not  his  own  personal  preferences,  determine  who  are 
to  be  his  co-laborers,  where  he  is  to  labor,  what  is 
to  be  his  work  and  what  the  relation  of  that  work  to 
the  work  of  others.  In  such  circumstances  a  man 
needs  all  the  consecration,  self-control,  high  resolve 
and  generous  unselfishness  which  the  fullest  bap¬ 
tism  of  the  spirit  of  God  may  enable  him  to  secure. 
Jealousy,  envy,  personal  ambition,  self-seeking,  love 
of  ease,  laziness,  the  desire  for  applause,  the  deter¬ 
mination  to  have  his  own  way,  presumably,  of 
course,  in  the  belief  that  it  is  the  right  way,  malice, 
evil  speaking,  selfishness,  are  sins  which  are  not 
absent  from  the  mission  field,  and  one  may  be  sur¬ 
prised  to  find  how  many  of  these  ignoble  traits  of 
character  will  be  found  lurking  in  his  own  heart 
and  asserting  themselves  with  surprising  power, 
unless  they  are  recognized  and  checked  and  striven 
against  in  prayer. 

There  should  be  the  cultivation  of  an  apprecia¬ 
tion  of  the  work  of  others,  of  an  interest  in  anoth¬ 
er’s  work,  of  a  willingness  to  allow  others  to  re¬ 
ceive  credit  for  their  own  and  perhaps  for  your 
work,  without  fretting  or  growing  impatient  under 
a  sense  of  injustice,  of  a  willingness  to  yield  one’s 

71 


C  o  it  n  s  cl  to  A  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


own  wishes  and  preferences  and  that,  too,  in  a  gra¬ 
cious  spirit,  of  a  willingness  to  submit  to  have  one’s 
own  convictions  of  what  is  right  and  best  overruled, 
and  of  an  ability  to  sacrifice  one’s  personal  feelings, 
prejudices,  views,  plans  and  ambitions  and  to  sub¬ 
ordinate  them  to  the  good  of  the  work  as  a  whole. 
By  all  means  possible  one  should  strive  for  the 
spirit  of  harmony  in  station  and  mission  and  native 
church.  The  determination  of  one  man  to  carry 
out  his  own  plans  at  all  hazards  may  develop  such 
a  lack  of  harmony  as  to  shut  out  the  blessing  of  the 
Spirit  of  God.  One  should  be  willing  to  make  very 
great  personal  sacrifices  in  order  to  maintain  har¬ 
mony,  peace,  and  good  will,  for  where  such  a  spirit 
prevails  the  Spirit  of  God  can  grant  His  blessing 
upon  the  work.  I  know  not  in  how  many  mission 
stations  missionary  quarrels  have  prevented  a  bless¬ 
ing,  but  certain  it  is  that  if  differences  of  views  and 
differences  in  convictions  as  to  what  is  best  are  not 
held  in  the  spirit  of  brotherly  love  and  mutual  con¬ 
cession,  but  lead  to  malice  and  envy  and  evil  speak¬ 
ing,  the  Spirit  of  God  is  grieved  and  that  station 
cannot  expect  a  blessing  upon  its  work.  Mutual 
co-operation  in  the  spirit  of  self-effacement  in  the 
interest  of  one  harmoniously  developing  work  is 
the  spirit  which  will  call  forth  a  blessing  and  give 
the  very  greatest  joy  in  the  midst  of  work. 

In  view  of  the  character  of  the  work  to  be  done  I 
would  not  in  the  least  discountenance  the  very  best 
and  most  ample  preparation  in  the  study  of  the  lan¬ 
guage,  the  history  and  literature  of  the  people  and 
the  study  of  comparative  religions  in  order  that  one 
may  intelligently  meet  the  conditions,  but  I  feel 
that  there  is  need  for  caution  along  this  line,  lest 
the  missionary  find  the  very  advice  given  to  him  a 

72 


C  o  u  n  s  e  1  to  N  e  iv  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


temptation  and  a  liindrance  to  most  effective  work. 
Far  more  important  than  the  study  of  comparative 
religions  or  the  religious  thought  and  life  of  the 
people  is  a  deep  and  thorough  study  of  the  religion 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  so  that  one’s  mind  and 
life  become  saturated  with  its  spiritual  ideas.  When 
one’s  study  of  heathen  religions  and  philosophy 
becomes  so  absorbing  that  he  knows  more  of  them 
than  he  does  of  his  Bible,  so  that  he  places  more 
stress  upon  the  ethical  teachings  common  to  both 
than  upon  the  spiritual  teachings  peculiar  to  the 
Scriptures  ;  when  he  is  more  concerned  to  show  that 
other  religions  have  parts  in  harmony  with  Scrip¬ 
ture  than  he  is  to  show  that  Christianity  meets  that 
which  is  lacking  in  them,  then  his  power  and  useful¬ 
ness  as  a  missionary  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 
are  at  an  end. 

When  I  read  of  all  that  a  missionary  is  advised 
to  study  and  master  in  preparation  for  his  work  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  presumption  is  that  every  mis¬ 
sionary  is  an  intellectual  giant  whose  whole  time  is 
to  be  given  to  study,  and  that  lie  is  to  be  always  pre¬ 
paring  for  work,  instead  of  working. 

While  constant  study  and  constant  efforts  to¬ 
wards  better  equipment  for  service  should  be  the 
rule,  one  cannot  always  be  laying  foundations  only, 
always  looking  towards  work  to  be  done  in  the  fu¬ 
ture.  Activity  in  work  is  itself  a  preparation  for 
better  work.  The  preaching  of  the  gospel,  the  es¬ 
tablishment  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  must  be  held 
as  taking  precedence  of  everything  else,  and  what¬ 
ever  sacrifice  is  necessary  for  the  accomplishment 
of  this  object  should  be  freely  made.  The  statement 
so  often  made  that  health  is  the  first  consideration 
expresses  a  sentiment  which  to  my  mind  is  totally 

73 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


at  variance  with  the  right  attitude.  Nothing  is  of 
first  consideration  bat  the  one  thing,  the  getting 
of  the  gospel  to  the  people,  and  if  to  accomplish  this 
the  sacrifice  of  health  is  necessary,  let  health  he 
sacrificed — yea,  life  itself — hut  come  what  may, 
preach  the  gospel,  and  see  to  it  that  the  great  com¬ 
mission  is  obeyed.  Of  course,  it  is  worse  than  folly, 
it  is  sin ,  to  sacrifice  health  or  life  when  that  is  un¬ 
necessary,  but  personal  comfort,  ease,  luxury, 
health  and  even  life  itself  must  be  held  subordinate 
to  the  accomplishment  of  one’s  chief  object. 

Above  all  things,  however,  the  missionary’s  own 
spiritual  life  is  the  most  important  consideration 
as  a  factor  in  evangelization.  As  Dr.  Dale,  writing 
of  the  evangelist,  says :  “What  tells  most  is  neither 
his  earnestness  nor  his  perfect  certainty  of  the 
truth  of  the  Christian  gospel,  but  the  fact  apparent 
to  those  who  listen  that  his  certainty  rests  on  his 
own  direct  and  personal  knowledge  of  the  eternal 
relations  of  which  he  is  speaking.” 

If  to  us  the  spiritual  blessings  of  reconciliation 
with  God,  our  fellowship  with  Jesus  Christ,  and 
the  assurance  of  eternal  life  are  our  chief  joy  and 
privilege  and  we  daily  experience  their  power  in 
our  own  lives,  then  we  can  go  forth  to  present  in  all 
faith  these  spiritual  privileges  and  blessings  as  the 
supreme  gift  of  the  gospel  unto  a  people  whose  de¬ 
spair  can  be  exchanged  for  hope,  whose  darkness 
can  give  way  to  the  light,  whose  fear  and  misery 
and  degradation  in  sin  and  iniquity  can  be  dis¬ 
placed  by  love  and  joy,  peace  and.  righteousness. 

These  privileges  and  blessings  which  we  value 
most  and  which  satisfy  man’s  spiritual  nature,  not 
the  incidental  temporal  advantages  of  Christianity 
which  appeal  to  the  natural  man,  should  be  kept 

74 


Counsel  to  New  Mi  s s i o n a r i e s 


constantly  in  the  forefront  as  that  upon  which  our 
appeals  are  based  in  urging  the  acceptance  of  the 
gospel.  A  church  thus  established  will  be  a  power¬ 
ful  spiritual  factor  in  a  nation  and  the  people  them¬ 
selves  will  value  these  spiritual  blessings  as  their 
chief  joy  and  privilege.  They  will  be  ready  to  make 
any  sacrifice  in  order  to  secure  and  retain  what  has 
become  of  supreme  interest  to  them. 

The  Spirit  of  God  delights  to  honor  such  appeals, 
and  we  may  confidently  expect  Him  to  work  the 
regeneration  of  the  people  to  whom  we  thus  present 
the  gospel  in  reliance  upon  His  power  alone. 


75 


VI 


THE  HOME  LIFE  OF  MISSIONARIES 
By  Mrs.  Helen  S.  O.  Nevius,  of  China 

[  N  these  days  of  “advanced  views”  one  hardly 
dares  to  profess  the  old-fashioned  belief  that  a 
wife’s  first  duty  is  to  be  a  helpmate  to  her  husband, 
to  assist  and  encourage  him  in  his  work,  and  to 
make  his  home  to  him  the  happiest  spot  in  all  the 
world.  Yet  this  is  what  I  do  believe,  and  what  I 
hope  I  have  in  some  degree  accomplished. 

But  the  happiest  missionary  homes,  as  I  have 
observed  them  during  almost  fifty  years,  have  not 
been  those  where  the  wife  has  devoted  herself  ex¬ 
clusively  to  the  care  of  her  husband  and  children. 
On  the  contrary,  they  have  been  those  where  hus¬ 
band  and  wife  have  alike  been  working  mission¬ 
aries.  If  a  woman  is  content  to  be  merely  a  care¬ 
ful  housekeeper  and  a  faithful  mother  and  nurse, 
she  may  indeed  be  conscious  of  having  fulfilled  a 
very  sacred  duty ;  but  I  think  she  has  not  reached 
the  highest  ideal.  All  this  she  might  have  done 
without  leaving  the  other  undone. 

However,  comparatively  few  women  are  satisfied 
not  to  make  some  effort  for  the  good  of  the  people 
they  live  among,  and,  as  a  rule,  the  homes  of  the 
missionaries,  both  of  single  women  and  married,  are 
real  “object  lessons” — very  bright  spots  in  the  sur¬ 
rounding  darkness,  where  often  heathen  women 
learn  for  the  first  time  the  meaning  of  the  word 
home. 

First  of  all  a  missionary’s  home  should  be  a  place 

76 


C  o  u  n  s  e  1  to  N  c  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  .s 


where  the  love  of  God  reigns  supreme,  where  in 
work,  rest  or  recreation  the  joy  of  the  Lord  and  the 
consciousness  of  His  presence  are  our  strength;  and 
it  ought  to  be  a  centre  from  which  good  influences 
radiate  in  all  directions.  There  heathen  men  and 
women  should  always  be  made  welcome.  There 
should,  if  possible,  be  a  bright,  cheerful,  native  re¬ 
ception  room,  where  they  can  be  entertained  and 
feel  at  home,  as  they  do  not  in  our  foreign  rooms. 

Visits  from  the  natives,  especially  from  women, 
take  a  great  deal  of  time,  and  are  so  barren  of  im¬ 
mediate  results,  that  one  often  feels  that  they  do  not 
pay  for  the  exhaustion  of  mind  and  body  which  en¬ 
sues.  Yet  few  kinds  of  work  are  more  important. 
Returning  these  calls  or  seeking  to  extend  our  ac¬ 
quaintance  among  women  is  a  kind  of  work  requir¬ 
ing  a  great  amount  of  patience  and  physical 
strength,  together  with  a  knowledge  of  the  habits 
and  customs  of  the  people.  Without  this  knowl¬ 
edge  we  are  apt  to  be  guilty  of  what  the  Chinese 
consider  great  rudeness,  and  shall  probably  do  more 
harm  than  good  by  our  efforts  to  be  sociable. 

One  plan  which  I  have  tried  for  getting  a  hold  on 
the  women  and  girls  is  gathering  them  into  indus¬ 
trial  classes.  My  object  is  not  primarily  to  teach 
them  to  sew,  nor  indeed  to  be  industrious,  but 
merely  to.  get  the  chance  of  teaching  them. 

Whether  the  natives  should  often  be  invited  to 
eat  with  ns  at  our  tables  is  an  open  question.  If 
they  dislike  foreign  food  as  much  as  I,  for  one,  dis¬ 
like  the  native,  they  would  be  glad  to  be  spared  the 
infliction.  In  China,  I  doubt  if  the  men  of  our 
families  ought  to  sit  at  table  when  we  are  enter¬ 
taining  native  women,  or  if  foreign  women  ought  to 
appear  when  men  guests  are  being  entertained. 

77 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


Young  women  at  least  make  no  mistake  in  being 
very  punctilious  in  observing  the  customs  of  the 
country. 

In  the  open  ports  nothing  which  the  foreigner 
can  do  now  greatly  surprises  the  natives,  so  used 
have  they  become  to  balls,  picnics,  races  and  sports 
of  all  kinds  where  men  and  women  appear  together 
in  easy  intercourse.  A  most  important  question  for 
missionaries  to  settle  is  “What  concessions  ought 
we  to  make  to  the  customs  of  the  country  we  have 
adopted  as  our  own?”  In  China  men  and  women 
do  not  sit  together  at  table.  A  woman  walking  the 
street  leaning  on  her  husband’s  arm  is  never  seen. 
Ladies  do  not  entertain  gentlemen  callers.  And  so 
in  innumerable  instances  our  foreign  customs  come 
into  conflict  with  those  of  all  Orientals. 

Our  costume  does  not  seem  to  the  Chinese  as  mod¬ 
est  and  beautiful  as  their  own,  nor  perhaps  is  it. 
Shall  we  then  adopt  theirs,  as  has  been  done  by 
many  missionaries?  I  think  not;  for  what  we  gain 
by  this  in  certain  respects  we  lose  in  others.  A 
lady  by  wearing  an  outside  native  garment,  or  a 
loose  wrap  of  her  own  may  at  any  time  avoid  disa¬ 
greeable  criticism.  But  what  can  be  said  of  the 
dress  of  a  foreign  man !  I  am  sure  I  do  not  know. 
But  as  the  world  over  it  has  been  adopted  by  every 
superior  race,  and  has  some  advantages  over  east¬ 
ern  costumes,  its  stiff  lines  and  want  of  grace  must 
be  condoned,  and  the  natives  must  get  used  to  it. 

One  thing  which  as  missionaries  we  ought  never 
to  forget  is  that  the  natives  are  not  to  be  blamed  for 
watching  our  conduct,  and  questioning  our  mo¬ 
tives.  For  this  reason,  if  for  no  other,  certain 
amusements  common  at  home,  such  for  instance  as 
dancing  and  cards,  are  never  allowed  in  a  mission- 

78 


Counsel  to  N  e  tv  Missionaries 


ary’s  family.  Others,  such  as  tennis,  croquet  and 
the  like  are  common,  though  in  the  eyes  of  the  Chi¬ 
nese  they  are  undignified  if  not  positively  immoral. 
Personally,  I  think  I  should  taboo  all  such  games 
in  places  where  the  curious  eyes  of  the  natives — 
strangers  at  least — could  witness  and  comment  on 
them.  But  in  so  doing  I  should  probably  find  my¬ 
self  in  a  minority  of  one!  I  am  quite  willing  to  ad¬ 
mit  that  the  importance  of  vigorous  and  agreeable 
exercise  makes  these  games  almost  a  necessity.  But 
certainly  in  interior  stations,  especially  in  the  be¬ 
ginnings  of  work,  the  greatest  care  should  be  exer¬ 
cised  in  all  such  matters. 

As  is  well  known,  the  line  of  separation  between 
missionaries  and  other  foreign  residents  in  the  East 
is  very  broad,  and  the  result  is  a  marked  estrange¬ 
ment  between  the  two  classes.  I  do  not  think  mis¬ 
sionaries  are  entirely  free  from  blame  for  this.  They 
hold  themselves  aloof,  possibly  sometimes  saying 
by  their  manner,  “I  am  holier  than  thou,”  which, 
though  often  literally  true,  is  not  always  so ;  for 
there  are  good  religious  people  outside  of  the  mis¬ 
sionary  communities.  We  blame  them  for  not  be¬ 
ing  in  sympathy  with  missions,  yet  take  little  pains 
to  make  them  so.  I  believe  that  a  good  proportion 
of  the  foreigners  in  China,  at  least  of  the  women, 
are  religious — that  is,  as  much  so  as  “the  rank  and 
file”  of  church  members  at  home.  They  are  in 
great  danger  from  the  adverse  influences  which 
meet  them  on  every  side.  Have  we  as  missionaries 
no  duties  toward  them?  I  think  it  possible  for  us, 
without  encroaching  on  our  more  direct  work,  to  be 
on  most  friendly  or  even  intimate  terms  with  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  foreign  communities ;  not,  perhaps,  par¬ 
ticipating  in  many  social  functions,  and  certainly 

79 


Co  u  n s e  1  t  o  N e w  M  i s s  i  o n  a r i  e  s 


not  entertaining  in  the  luxurious  way  so  common  in 
the  East,  but  to  be  true  friends,  sympathizing  in 
their  joys  and  sorrows,  and  at  all  times  trying  to 
help  them  to  lead  brave  and  earnest  Christian  lives. 
In  such  intercourse  anything  like  “pious  talk,”  and 
the  least  approach  to  “cant”  which  is  so  distaste¬ 
ful  to  any  one  not  accustomed  to  it  must  be  avoided. 
On  the  other  hand  there  is  real  danger  of  our  inter¬ 
course  degenerating  into  mere  frivolity,  doing  no 
good  to  ourselves  or  any  one  else. 

A  small  missionary  establishment,  and  a  very 
meagre  salary,  would  prevent  any  one  without  pri¬ 
vate  means,  from  mingling  very  extensively  in  the 
society  of  the  foreign  settlements,  even  if  he  desired 
to  do  so. 

The  place  which  should  be  given  to  music  and 
other  accomplishments,  such  as  drawing  and  paint¬ 
ing,  is  also  rather  a  difficult  question,  and  one  on 
which  directly  opposite  views  are  held.  Suppose  a 
young  woman  with  an  unusual  gift  for  music,  after 
years  of  careful  training  and  great  expense,  has  be¬ 
come  proficient  in  it;  shall  she  when  she  enters  on 
her  life-work  as  a  missionary,  give  this  all  up?  In 
my  opinion  the  answer  to  this  question  should  be 
emphatically  no.  Should  she  do  so  it  would  be 
burying  a  talent  which  ought  to  be  used  for  the  sake 
of  Him  who  gave  it.  Moreover  it  would  be  sure  to 
cause  shrinkage  and  deterioration  of  character,  and 
consequently  loss  of  power  to  do  good  work  in  oth¬ 
er  lines.  Moreover  it  is  voluntarily  relinquishing 
one  means  of  giving  pleasure  to  others  and  of  mak¬ 
ing  cheerful  the  homes  which  from  the  necessities  of 
the  case  must  be  comparatively  uninviting. 

No  one  would  deny  the  importance  of  music  as  a 
means  of  doing  good  to  the  natives.  For  teaching 

80 


C  o  u  n  -s  cl  f  o  N  c  id  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  c  s 


the  Christians,  whether  for  schools  or  church,  or 
merely  as  a  means  of  entertaining  visitors,  it  is  of 
great  use.  But  for  these  purposes  “a  little  goes  a 
long  way,”  and  does  not  require  much  time  or  prac¬ 
tice.  If  a  person  is  not  truly  musical,  by  which  I 
mean  that  she  does  not  care  enough  for  it  to  be 
willing  to  take  for  it  many  of  the  hours  she  would 
otherwise  give  to  reading,  sewing,  out  of  door 
games,  or  visiting  her  neighbors— such  an  one  I 
think  need  not  force  her  music  farther  than  to  keep 
enough  of  it  to  use  in  her  strictly  missionary  work. 
But  to  the  few  who  love  music  as  one  of  the  dearest 
things  in  all  the  world,  I  am  not  afraid  to  give  the 
advice  to  keep  it  up  from  the  time  you  leave  your 
teachers  at  home,  until  you  are  called  to  join  in  the 
harmonies  of  heaven,  which  possibly  you  will  un¬ 
derstand  and  appreciate  as  others  cannot. 

During  the  earlier  years  of  missions  in  China  the 
duty  of  economy  was  practised  more  rigidly  than  it 
is  now.  More  than  one  family  suffered  both  in 
mind  and  body  from  the  want  of  nourishing  food ; 
and  this  not  always  from  necessity  hut  from  mo¬ 
tives  of  economy,  or  the  belief  that  it  was  a  meri¬ 
torious  thing,  or  if  not  quite  that,  that  a  certain 
amount  of  asceticism  was  required  in  every  good 
missionary.  This  belief  prevails  still  to  some  ex¬ 
tent.  I  have  lately  received  a  letter  from  the  Rev. 
W.  A.  P.  Martin,  D.P.,  LL.D.,  in  which  occurs  the 
following:  “One  of  the  saddest  instances  of  mistak¬ 
en  asceticism  is  that  of  the  eminent  Scotchman, 
Rev.  W.  C.  Burns,  who  fell  a  victim  to  false  notions 
of  economy.  He  is  in  fact  reported  to  have  said 
during  his  last  illness  that  if  he  recovered  he  would 
change  his  mode  of  life.” 

It  is  my  opinion  that  people  living  in  these  east- 

81 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


ern  countries — China,  Japan  and  Korea — where 
servants  are  plenty  and  comparatively  cheap,  are 
inexcusable  if  their  homes  are  ill-kept  and  their 
tables  uninviting.  Even  a  moderately  good  house¬ 
keeper  can  with  care  provide  plenty  of  nourishing- 
food,  and  if  she  is  a  person  of  refined  tastes,  she  will 
make  some  effort  to  beautify  the  “social  board.” 

Even  more  important,  I  regard  it,  that  she  should 
make  these  hours,  snatched  from  the  work  of  the 
busy  day,  times  of  mental  refreshment  and  delight. 
Here,  if  anywhere,  the  house-mother  or  hostess  will 
do  her  best  in  the  art  of  conversation,  giving  out 
from  her  own  stores  of  reading  or  memory,  and 
drawing  out  from  others  still  more.  How  often  in 
the  years  which  are  passed  has  one  tired  man  been 
interested  and  diverted  by  a  resume  of  some  book 
which  his  wife  had  been  reading !  It  may  have  been 
from  Livingston  or  Stanley,  or  the  life  of  Bishop 
Patteson ;  or  just  as  probably  it  was  a  good  story 
of  which  she  gave  him  the  plot  from  beginning  to 
end  with  as  much  detail  as  time  allowed.  The 
wearied  brow  would  lose  its  lines  and  a  merry  laugh 
would  show  that  she  had  not  failed  in  her  purpose; 
while  may  be  long  afterwards  she  would  find  that 
her  husband  to  all  intents  knew  about  as  much  of 
the  book  as  she  had  retained  in  her  memory.  I  cer¬ 
tainly  do  not  advise  making  meal  times  a  time  for 
mental  effort,  but  even  that  would  be  better  than 
the  totally  inane,  uninteresting  occasions  they  are 
apt  to  become,  especially  in  missionary  homes, 
where  monotony  often  is  quite  as  injurious  as  ma¬ 
laria  or  contagion. 

Of  course,  I  do  not  limit  the  importance  of  good 
conversation  to  the  time  spent  at  table.  Far  from 
it.  I  am  sure  it  is  a  much  neglected  duty  at  other 

82 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  (tries 


times.  Tlie  indolent  quiet  in  which  many  women 
allow  themselves  to  indulge  seems  to  me  not  quite 
the  admirable  thing  it  is  sometimes  thought,  and  it 
certainly  does  not  add  to  the  brightness  of  home. 

In  the  early  days  of  missions  each  young  man 
coming  abroad  brought  with  him  a  library  as  well 
tilled  as  that  of  any  young  clergyman  at  home.  He¬ 
brew,  Greek,  theological  works — heavy  tomes 
arranged  on  the  shelves  always  in  beautiful  order, 
because  seldom  touched,  stood  ever  after  staring  re¬ 
proachfully  at  us,  who  so  sadly  neglected  them. 
Present-day  libraries  seem  more  inviting.  How 
much  time  it  is  right  to  spend  in  reading  is  a  ques¬ 
tion  which  each  person  must  settle  for  lnnself  or 
herself.  Certain  it  is  that  the  missionary  who  does 
not  read,  and  read  with  a  purpose,  must  deteriorate. 
The  importance  of  faithful  Bible  study  “goes  with¬ 
out  saying.”  If  we  allow  our  missionary  work,  even 
what  seems  most  imperative,  to  interfere  with  this, 
our  Christian  characters  must  be  cramped  and  im¬ 
perfect,  and  our  souls  will  suffer.  If  there  is  time 
for  nothing  else  let  this  never  be  neglected. 

But  with  regularity,  punctuality,  and  a  judicious 
division  of  the  day,  every  one  who  has  a  real  fond¬ 
ness  for  intellectual  pursuits,  can  find  time  for  a 
certain  amount  of  study  either  of  languages,  sci¬ 
ence,  or  whatever  one  craves,  and  also  for  “light 
reading.”  I  am  sorry  for  the  missionary  who  gets 
no  pleasure  from  works  of  fiction.  Not  even  the 
best  books  of  travel,  history  or  biography  can  so 
completely  take  us  out  of  ourselves  and  make  us  for¬ 
get  our  uncongenial  surroundings.  A  home  where 
such  books  are  not  allowed  I  have  generally  found 
to  be  rather  a  dull  one,  where  mirth,  wit  and  ready 
repartee  are  conspicuous  only  by  their  absence. 

83 


Counsel  t o  N e w  M  i s s i o n a r i e  s 


Few  are  the  homes  in  any  land  where  sickness 
and  sorrow  do  not  at  some  time  make  their  en¬ 
trance.  The  sanitary  conditions,  too  hard  study, 
overwork,  together  with  the  monotony  of  life  in 
most  eastern  countries  are  by  no  means  favorable  to 
good  health,  and  there  are  few  foreign  residents 
who  do  not  have  to  serve  an  apprenticeship  at  one 
time  or  another  in  nursing  the  sick. 

When  I  first  came  to  China  fiftv  years  ago  the 
profession  of  “trained  nurse”  was  almost  unknown. 
We  looked  after  our  sick  as  best  we  could;  and  I 
am  glad  to  think  that  by  devotion  and  faithfulness, 
we  made  up  in  some  measure  for  what  we  failed  in 
from  ignorance.  But  good  lessons  and  experience 
in  nursing  are  at  all  times  invaluable.  I  cannot 
recommend  too  strongly  the  importance  to  either  a 
man  or  a  woman  looking  forward  to  being  a  mis¬ 
sionary,  of  learning  to  take  care  of  the  sick.  Not 
every  one  need  become  a  trained  nurse,  but  every 
one  who  wishes  it  may  obtain  some  lessons  and 
practice  in  the  art  of  nursing  the  sick.  No  other  ac¬ 
complishment  will  prove  more  useful  in  the  long- 
run  ;  and  it  also  gives  one  much  influence  among 
the  natives. 

My  own  home  has  been  many  times  a  temporary 
hospital,  and  I  speak  from  actual  experience  when 
I  urge  the  importance  of  a  knowledge  of  nursing. 

It  was  once  my  privilege  to  entertain  an  Ameri¬ 
can  gentleman,  who  will  forgive  my  mention  of  his 
name — Dr.  Pliraner — whose  knowledge  of  minis¬ 
ter's  manses  in  the  United  States  has  been  excep¬ 
tional.  He  assured  me  that  the  homes  of  mission¬ 
aries  were  not  as  commodious  and  good — on  an 
average— as  those  of  clergymen  at  home.  Yet  it  is 
well  known  that  our  houses  and  way  of  living  have 

84 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


been  most  severely  criticized  by  travelers  and  globe¬ 
trotters  as  unsuitable  and  extravagant.  Did  these 
critics  realize  more  fully  our  circumstances,  I  think 
they  would  judge  us  more  kindly. 

Those  of  us  who  live  in  central  stations  or  the 
open  ports  are  constantly  obliged  to  “use  hospitali¬ 
ty.”  This,  if  our  houses  are  large  enough,  and  our 
servants  are  well  trained,  in  most  cases,  is  not  a 
burden,  but  rather  a  pleasure.  While  my  present 
home  was  being  built  we  lived  in  a  four-roomed 
small  house,  where  five  times  in  one  year  we  gave 
up  our  bedroom  to  guests — once  for  a  month — and 
made  the  study  do  duty  as  a  sleeping  room,  to  the 
great  detriment  of  our  work.  The  experiment  con¬ 
vinced  us  that  for  us  a  house  double  the  size  was 
none  too  large.  About  the  same  time  there  was  an¬ 
other  person  who  built  his  house  just  as  small  as 
he  could  possibly  do  with,  because  thus  it  was  un¬ 
likely  that  he  should  be  burdened  with  guests.  Per¬ 
haps  once  or  twice  during  the  passing  years  I  have 
thought  him  wise,  and  envied  him,  but  not  often. 

Then  comes  the  question  of  furnishing  and  style 
of  living.  I  have  already  emphasized  the  impor¬ 
tance  I  attach  to  making  the  missionary’s  home  at¬ 
tractive,  while  at  the  same  time  avoiding  scrupu¬ 
lously  all  ostentation  and  extravagance.  In  the  na¬ 
ture  of  the  case  there  will  be  a  great  difference  in 
the  houses  of  the  same  mission ;  one  having  an  air 
of  refinement  and  beauty,  another  the  same  in  size 
and  kind  remaining  to  the  end  destitute  of  orna¬ 
ment,  the  walls  without  pictures,  the  floors  bare  or 
ill  kept,  no  musical  instruments  with  their  sweet 
sounds  and  suggestions,  and,  worse  than  all,  a  gen¬ 
eral  air  of  untidiness.  The  third  house,  and  the 
kind  most  common,  will  be  neither  one  of  the  above, 

85 


Counsel  to  New  M  issionarie s 


but  somewhat  between  the  two.  Individuality 
stamps  itself  upon  houses,  just  as  it  does  on  one’s 
garments.  Even  the  house  which  seems  to  us  most 
unattractive  is  so  superior  in  most  respects  to  the 
next-door  Chinese  neighbor  that  to  him  there  is  per¬ 
haps  little  perceptible  difference.  In  matters  of 
this  sort  much  must  be  left  to  the  individual  taste, 
judgment  and  conscience. 

If  punctuality  and  regularity  in  the  conduct  of 
affairs  are  important  elsewhere,  they  are  doubly  so 
in  a  missionary’s  home,  and  their  absence  is  soon 
felt.  Time  seems  of  little  value  to  Eastern  peoples, 
and  it  is  wasted  with  surprising  prodigality.  But 
while  this  is  so  it  is  equally  true  that  it  is  not  dif¬ 
ficult  to  train  them  to  habits  of  punctuality;  and  it 
is  the  missionary’s  fault  if  breakfast  is  late,  lunch¬ 
eon  delayed,  and  dinner  any  time  between  daylight 
and  dark,  while  family  prayers  are  moved  about  to 
suit  the  convenience  of  master  or  servants.  I  con¬ 
sider  it  as  most  important  that  young  missionaries 
from  the  very  first  should  regard  punctuality  and 
regularity  in  the  light  of  duties  never  to  be  neg¬ 
lected. 

The  limits  of  this  chapter  will  not  allow  me  to 
suggest  particular  lines  of  work  or  methods.  But 
I  wish  negatively  to  point  out  one  or  two  things. 
Except  in  extreme  cases  of  illness  no  one  ought  to 
encroach  very  much  on  the  time  and  strength  of  the 
stronger  members  of  the  mission.  There  is  room 
here  for  self-denial ;  and,  as  a  rule,  most  cheerfully 
and  willingly  have  missionaries  borne  it.  Another 
thing  which  more  particularly  concerns  married 
women  is  this:  Let  them  never  be  clogs  nor  hind¬ 
rances  to  their  husbands.  If  for  instance  the  hus¬ 
band’s  duties  call  him  to  be  often  absent  from  home 

86 


Counsel  to  New  Miss i o n a r  i  c s 


on  long  itinerating  tours,  on  which  she  cannot  ac¬ 
company  him,  let  her  on  no  account  weaken  his 
courage  by  her  wails  of  loneliness.  If  a  woman 
cannot  do  itinerating  work  herself  she  ought  at 
least  to  be  willing  to  “stay  by  the  stuff,”  thankful 
that  she  in  her  comparative  uselessness  has  a  brave 
soldier  to  send  out  to  fight  in  the  great  battle  with 
sin.  That  this  means  sacrifice  no  one  knows  better 
than  the  writer  of  these  words. 

The  sin  of  overwork  is  not  confined  to  mission¬ 
aries,  but  I  think  it  is  more  dangerous  for  them 
than  for  people  in  Western  lands,  who  necessarily 
and  in  spite  of  themselves  get  a  certain  amount  of 
recreation  and  relaxation  every  day.  A  missionary, 
to  begin  with,  lias  the  language  to  acquire,  and  this 
often  taxes  both  mind  and  body  beyond  endurance. 
After  that  come  the  long  weary  years  of  teaching, 
preaching  and  incessant  “giving  out,”  with  little  op¬ 
portunity  to  repair  waste.  But  if  the  home  is  what 
it  ought  to  be  it  will  in  a  great  measure  make  up 
for  all  this. 

As  I  glance  back  over  the  pages  of  this  chapter  I 
can  but  notice  that  I  have  written  too  exclusively 
for  women — a  natural  consequence,  perhaps,  of  my 
old-fashioned  notions  of  the  impropriety  of  a  wo¬ 
man’s  presuming  to  attempt  to  teach  men!  But 
perhaps  I  may  be  allowed  a  few  words  of  sugges¬ 
tion  in  closing.  No  one  can  realize  more  deeply 
than  I  do  that  the  happiness  of  home  depends 
chiefly  upon  the  man  who  is  its  head.  It  is  in  his 
power  to  make  or  mar  it.  No  amount  of  work,  how¬ 
ever  important,  no  preoccupation  of  mind,  no 
theories  as  to  different  spheres  of  labor,  can  absolve 
him  from  his  paramount  duties  in  his  home.  It  is 
by  no  means  enough  that  a  man  should  be  a  faith- 

87 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  N  c  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  it  a  r  i  e  s 


fill,  hard  working  missionary.  It  is  a  sad  confes¬ 
sion  to  make,  but  a  true  one,  that  there  have  been 
missionaries  who  have  done  their  duty  everywhere 
but  in  their  own  families.  Mistaken  I  believe  them 
to  have  been,  but  conscientious  no  doubt.  If  ever 
there  is  a  place  where  divine  guidance  is  needed 
surely  it  is  here;  and  well  it  is  for  us  that  we  have 
the  promise,  “If  any  man  lack  wisdom  let  him  ask 
of  God  who  giveth  to  all  liberally  and  upraidetli 
not;  and  it  shall  be  given  him.” 


88 


VII 


SOME  COUNSEL  TO 


WOMEN  TEACHERS 


By  Miss  Hattie  V.  Noyes ,  of  China 


As  one  who  lias  traveled  through  a  pleasant  coun¬ 
try  enjoys  meeting  those  who  are  commencing 
the  same  journey,  I  take  pleasure  in  greeting  you  at 
the  threshold  of  your  mission  life.  You  have  chosen 
a  good  work,  and  it  is  your  wish  to  make  the  most 
and  best  life,  and  I  am  glad  indeed  to  have  the  privi¬ 
lege,  through  these  pages,  of  extending  to  you  a  wel¬ 
coming  hand,  hoping  that  it  may  also  be  a  helping 
one,  and  to  pass  on  to  you  through  this  medium 
some  of  the  thoughts  and  experiences  which  have 
proved  helpful  to  me.  You  and  the  Master  alone 
know  the  full  measure  of  what  has  been  involved  in 
your  decision,  and  the  sacrifice  you  may  be  making, 
but  I  doubt  not  that  you  are  glad  and  happy,  and 
feel  that  it  is  a  great  privilege  to  be  one  of  His 
chosen  messengers,  and  the  promise  of  the  hundred¬ 
fold  is  yours.  I  well  remember  how,  during  my 
first  voyage  to  the  mission  field,  made  before  the 
days  of  rapid  transit,  as  the  days  grew  into  weeks, 
and  the  weeks  into  months,  and  the  dear  home-land 
seemed  to  be  going  very  far  away,  the  beautiful  lines 
were  constantly  in  mind. 

“I  know  not  where  ITis  islands  lift 
Their  fronded  palms  in  air; 

I  only  know  I  cannot  drift, 

Beyond  His  love  and  care.” 

89 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s s i o n a r i e  s 


The  promise,  “Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,”  is  your 
sure  possession,  so  you  can  never  be  left  alone. 

The  first  step  in  yonr  new  life  will  be  the  acqui¬ 
sition  of  the  language,  and  its  importance  cannot 
be  overestimated.  The  usefulness  and  efficiency  of 
the  missionary  worker  depend  to  a  great  extent 
upon  familiarity  with  the  language  of  the  people. 
The  gospel  message  is  new  and  strange  to  their  ears, 
and  if  not  clothed  in  familiar  words  is  not  likely 
to  reach  their  hearts.  It  is  difficult  enough  for 
them  to  grasp  and  understand  it  when  expressed  in 
the  best  possible  way.  Do  not  feel  impatient  to  be¬ 
gin  work,  or  that  the  time  is  wasted  which  is  neces¬ 
sarily  given  to  this  most  important  preparation  for 
your  chosen  work.  The  waiting  time  is  valuable 
in  many  ways ;  it  gives  time  for  adoptation  to  new 
surroundings,  and  becoming  familiar  with  the 
thoughts  and  feelings  of  those  whose  highest  good 
you  are  seeking. 

The  very  first  requisite  for  a  successful  mission¬ 
ary  life  is  a  Christ-like  love  for  those  for  whom  you 
labor.  The  heathen  women  and  girls  will  read  very 
readily  and  accurately  your  feelings  towards  them, 
and  unless  there  is  a  genuine  interest  and  love  for 
them  in  the  heart,  the  effort  to  reach  them  is  hope¬ 
less. 

There  is  a  heart  language,  which  can  communi¬ 
cate  without  the  aid  of  words,  and  which  is  under¬ 
stood  by  all.  The  kindly  smile,  the  loving  glance  of 
the  eye,  the  sympathy  manifested  in  looks  and 
tones,  even  if  in  unfamiliar  words,  are  eloquent  ex¬ 
pressions  of  the  love  that  is  in  the  heart,  and  are 
readily  understood  and  appreciated.  Could  there 
be  a  more  beautiful  tribute  to  the  life  and  spirit  of 
any  one  than  was  paid  to  a  dear  missionary  sister, 

90 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


who  had  returned  to  the  home-land  hoping  to  re¬ 
gain  health  and  strength  for  longer  service?  When 
the  message  came  back  that  her  earthly  work  was 
finished  and  she  had  gone  to  receive  the  heavenly 
reward,  one  of  the  native  Christian  women  said  of 
her  that  it  was  through  her  life  she  had  learned  to 
understand  the  love  of  Christ  for  sinners ;  it  had  al¬ 
ways  seemed  a  strange,  incredible  story  until  her 
love  for  the  poor  heathen  women,  so  unlike  herself, 
had  been  such  a  revelation  of  the  power  and 
strength  of  human  love,  that  it  had  made  it  possi¬ 
ble  to  understand  the  divine  love  of  the  Saviour. 
It  must  ever  he  borne  in  mind  that  you  are  the  ex¬ 
ponents  of  the  Christianity  which  you  profess,  liv¬ 
ing  epistles,  which  will  be  known  and  read  by  those 
about  you,  who  will  be  quick  to  detect  any  incon¬ 
sistencies  in  life  or  example. 

If  you  have  been  engaged  in  educational  work  at- 
home  you  will  doubtless  realize  from  the  first  the 
different  character  and  object  of  the  educational 
work  of  the  missionaries,  which  should  always  be 
largely  evangelistic.  In  many  mission  schools 
much  of  the  teaching  corresponds  nearly  with  the 
Sabbath  School  work  in  the  home-land.  The  con¬ 
ditions  on  the  mission  field  are  so  different  from 
those  in  Christian  lands,  where  the  pupils  in  the 
schools  have  the  home  influence  and  teachings,  the 
church,  the  Sabbath  school  and  Christian  friends, 
while  for  many  of  those  who  attend  the  mission 
schools  it  is  the  one  opportunity  of  a  lifetime  to 
learn  the  priceless  lessons,  which  are  so  infinitely 
more  important  than  the  learning  which  pertains 
to  the  earthly  life.  Fifty  years  hence  it  will  matter 
very  little  how  much  or  little  they  have  learned  of 
the  higher  mathematics,  or  the  different  sciences, 

91 


C o  u n s e  1  to  N  e w  M  i  s s  i  o n a  r  i  e  s 


if  they  have  only  obtained  that  knowledge  which 
will  make  them  wise  onto  salvation. 

Whatever  they  find,  or  do  not  find,  in  the  school 
curriculum,  be  sure  that  they  are  taught  how  to 
find  the  way  that  leads  to  heaven.  It  is  a  comfort¬ 
ing  thought  that  it  does  not  necessarily  need  much 
teaching  to  insure  this.  With  the  blessing  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  a  single  text  of  Scripture  has  been 
sufficient  to  point  the  way. 

Let  the  words  of  the  Bible  enter  largely  into  the 
instruction  given.  As  Frances  Havergal  has  writ¬ 
ten,  “God’s  promise  that  ‘My  word  shall  not  return 
unto  me  void,’  is  not  made  of  our  words,  but  of  His 
own.”  While  it  is  desirable  to  give  to  the  pupils  in 
mission  schools  all  the  general  information  possi¬ 
ble,  let  us  never  for  a  moment  lose  sight  of  the  su¬ 
preme  object.  After  this  the  amount  of  information 
which  can  be  given  in  other  lines  will  depend  upon 
the  different  conditions  of  the  schools. 

In  schools  which  are  composed  of  the  children  of 
Christian  parents,  there  is  a  good  foundation  to 
commence  with,  and  in  those  where  the  pupils  re¬ 
main  under  instruction  for  many  years,  it  is  possi¬ 
ble  to  give  them  in  addition  to  the  religious  instruc¬ 
tion  what  would  be  considered  a  good  education  in 
Western  lands. 

The  words  of  an  eminent  educator  of  England  are 
especially  applicable  to  mission  schools :  “A  school 
should  be  first  of  all  a  place  for  the  formation  of 
character,  and  next  a  place  for  learning  and  study, 
as  a  means  for  the  attainment  of  this  higher  end. 
Discipline  and  guidance  should  be  still  more  pre¬ 
eminently  the  business  of  a  school  teacher,  than  the 
impartation  of  knowledge.”  Unquestionably  the 
aim  of  educational  work  in  the  mission  field  is  “to 

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C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  N  e  tv  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


raise  up  Christian  leaders.’’  And  while  it  is  most 
desirable  that  these  leaders  should  have  all  the 
education  in  every  line  that  they  can  obtain,  yet 
when  their  opportunities  are  limited  we  can  remem¬ 
ber  that  there  may  be  quite  different  standards  of 
the  amount  of  education  necessary,  varying  with 
the  classes  who  are  to  be  led  by  these  Christian 
leaders.  It  is  as  true  to-day  as  when  the  words 
were  written  nearly  nineteen  hundred  years  ago, 
that  “not  many  wise  men  after  the  flesh,  not  many 
mighty,  not  many  noble,  are  called.  But  God  hath 
chosen  the  foolish  things  of  the  world  to  confound 
the  wise,  and  God  hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of 
the  world  to  confound  the  things  which  are  mighty, 
and  base  things  of  the  world,  and  things  which  are 
despised,  hath  God  chosen ;  yea,  and  things  which 
are  not  to  bring  to  naught  things  that  are.”  And 
every  true  believer  through  all  the  ages  may  claim 
the  fulfillment  of  the  Saviour’s  promise,  “I  will 
send  the  Holy  Spirit  unto  you,  and  he  shall  teach 
you  all  things,  and  guide  you  into  all  truth.”  So 
we  may  believe  that  no  one  who  has  obtained  suf¬ 
ficient  education  to  be  an  intelligent,  earnest  Chris¬ 
tian  need  fail  to  be  a  Christian  leader  of  some. 

It  is  of  the  highest  importance  that  the  pupils  for 
their  own  spiritual  development,  as  well  as  the  good 
of  others,  be  trained  from  the  first  to  realize  that  it 
is  their  duty,  having  heard  the  gospel  message,  to 
tell  it  to  others  as  they  have  opportunity,  “Let  him 
that  heareth  say,  come.”  A  missionary  society  is 
very  helpful  in  leading  them  to  think  of  others. 

You  will  wish  to  know  each  pupil  as  intimately 
as  possible,  and  to  have  them  all  feel  that  you  are 
their  friend — one  to  whom  they  may  always  come 
for  help  and  comfort.  Let  them  be  assured  of  your 

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Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


sympathy  in  their  trials,  and  feel  that  yon  will  al¬ 
ways  follow  them  with  loving  interest.  The  im¬ 
portance  of  making  the  best  possible  nse  of  the  time 
while  they  are  directly  under  the  influence  of  the 
missionary  cannot  be  overestimated,  and  every  ef¬ 
fort  should  be  made  to  lead  them  to  decide  for 
Christ,  and  to  prepare  them  for  the  trials,  which 
they  will  be  almost  sure  to  meet,  when  tliev  go  out 
among  the  heathen  relatives  and  friends. 

During  a  time  of  bitter  persecution  it  was  very 
noticeable  that  the  native  Christians  who  were 
most  familiar  with  the  Bible,  were  strongest  to  bear 
the  trial  of  their  faith,  and  could  be  cheerful  and 
trustful,  while  others  were  timid  and  dismayed. 

As  they  finish  their  studies  and  go  out  to  take 
their  places  in  the  world,  let  them  feel  that  they 
will  never  be  forgotten,  and  thus  holding  fast  your 
influence  over  them,  without  doubt  through  them 
you  will  be  able  to  influence  many  whom  you  may 
never  know. 

You  will  feel  the  paramount  importance  of  find¬ 
ing  the  best  method  of  presenting  the  gospel  mes¬ 
sage,  remembering  that  your  hearers  are  as  little 
children,  to  whom  it  is  all  new  and  strange.  It  will 
not  be  surprising  if  they  do  not  realize  the  sin  of 
neglecting  to  love  and  worship  a  God  of  whom  they 
have  never  heard,  or  if  the  beautiful  story  of  a  Sav¬ 
iour’s  love  seems  at  first  incredible  to  them. 

Oftentimes  a  way  that  seems  to  appeal  naturally 
to  their  hearts  is  to  present  the  hope  of  a  happier 
life  than  they  have  known  here.  For  many  of  them 
the  earthly  life  has  been  filled  with  sadness,  as  they 
are  ready  to  admit,  and  the  hope  of  something  bet¬ 
ter,  of  a  place  of  perfect  happiness  to  which  they 
may  go,  appeals  to  them  strongly,  and  they  are 

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Counsel  to  New  M  i  s s i o n a  vies 


ready  and  eager  to  learn  how  they  may  find  the  way, 
and  thus  their  interest  is  gained. 

Many  questions  will  necessarily  come  up  for  de¬ 
cision,  and  you  will  often  feel  the  need  of  that  wis¬ 
dom  which  God  promises  shall  be  given  liberally  to 
those  who  ask.  It  is  well  not  to  be  hasty  in  form¬ 
ing  opinions,  as  oftentimes  questions,  which  at  first 
seem  easy  of  solution,  may  be  found  to  have  per¬ 
plexing  conditions,  which  must  affect  and  perhaps 
modify,  if  not  change,  the  decision  which  at  first 
seemed  right.  You  may  meet  with  experiences 
which  would  naturally  tend  to  make  you  suspicious 
of  the  motives  and  acts  of  those  about  you,  but  do 
not  allow  them  to  unduly  influence  you,  or  you  will 
surely  find  that  your  own  influence  for  good  will  be 
lessened.  I  remember  hearing  a  very  successful 
missionary  say,  “The  law  considers  a  man  innocent 
until  lie  is  proven  guilty,  and  missionaries  surely 
should  not  be  less  generous.” 

It  is  not  likely  that  any  one  for  whose  good  you 
are  earnestly  seeking  can  seem  dull  and  uninterest¬ 
ing,  but  if  it  should  ever  be  so  remember  how  much 
has  been  given  to  you,  and  how  little  has  fallen  to 
their  lot,  and  be  thankful  and  charitable. 

You  will  doubtless  find  “trials  by  the  way,”  and 
they  will  very  likelv  come  in  ways  which  von  will 
not  expect.  But  endeavor  under  all  circumstances 
to  “Let  patience  have  her.  perfect  work,  that  ye  may 
be  perfect  and  entire,  wanting  nothing.”  There  may 
be  disappointments,  but  remember  that  they  are  His 
appointments,  and  it  will  help  you  to  bear  them. 
Some  one  has  said  that  “In  the  missionary’s  vocabu¬ 
lary  there  is  no  such  word  as  discouragement.” 
“The  battle  is  the  Lord’s,”  and  victory  in  the  end  is 
assured  from  the  beginning.  In  a  field  where  there 

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Counsel  to  New  M  i  s  s i o n a r i e s 


are  such  boundless  opportunities,  surrounded  by 
millions  who  are  in  such  dire  need  of  the  gospel,  it 
often  seems  trying  that  one  can  do  so  little  to  meet 
the  need.  But  when  it  is  remembered  that  God 
Himself  lias  set  the  limitations  of  strength  and  abil¬ 
ity,  they  can  be  accepted  cheerfully. 

It  has  been  truly  said  that  the  real  measure  of 
any  one’s  work  is  not  what  can  be  done  directly, 
which  must  necessarily  be  very  limited,  but  wliat 
can  be  accomplished  through  others.  This  is  espe¬ 
cially  true  on  the  mission  field,  where  the  compara¬ 
tively  few  workers  from  the  home-lands  can  never 
hope  to  reach  directly  more  than  a  very  limited 
number  of  the  vast  multitude  of  heathen.  And  the 
very  best  way  to  develop  the  Christian  life  in  those 
who  have  accepted  Christ  for  themselves,  is  to  lead 
them  to  work  for  the  salvation  of  others.  Once  as¬ 
sured  that  there  is  really  the  love  of  Christ  in  the 
heart  no  one  need  be  considered  as  unable  to  be  a 
worker  in  some  capacity.  And  if  you  are  careful 
to  secure  the  very  best  helpers  that  are  attainable 
you  may  confidently  hope  that  the  Lord  of  the  har¬ 
vest  will  bless  their  labors.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  the  imperfections  of  Christian  workers  are 
only  in  degree,  for  no  one  can  claim  to  be  perfect. 
From  the  first  use  all  your  influence  to  lead  them 
to  feel  their  personal  responsibility,  and  how  bind¬ 
ing  upon  them  is  the  Saviour’s  command,  “Freely 
ye  have  received,  freely  give.” 

You  will  doubtless  have  varied  experiences  in 
your  missionary  life.  For  the  bright,  happy  days 
you  will  be  glad  and  thankful,  and  if  sadness  or 
trials  come  to  vou  you  can  alwavs  feel  that  it  is  all 
in  the  present  and  will  soon  be  past,  and  then  the 
joy  of  service  will  remain  forever.  And  you  will 

96 


Counsel  to  'New  Missionaries 


often  find  comfort  and  help  in  the  thought  of  the 
many  friends  who  “do  not  cease  to  pray  for  yon, 
and  to  desire  that  ye  might  be  filled  with  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  His  will  in  all  wisdom  and  spiritual  under¬ 
standing.” 

“Give  me  to  know  Thy  will,  O  God! 

And  may  1  see  each  day 
A  light  from  Heaven  upon  the  road 
To  clearly  point  the  way ! 

That  I  may  know  just  what  to  do 
And  what  to  leave  undone, 

And  be  unto  Thy  service  true 
From  dawn  to  setting  sun.” 


97 


VIII 


OBSERVATIONS  UPON  INFLUENCES  AF¬ 
FECTING  THE  HEALTH  AND  EFFI¬ 
CIENCY  OF  MISSIONARY  LABORERS. 

Bjj  George  W.  Holmes ,  M.  D.,  formerly  of  Persia 

rpIlE  most  serious  of  the  hurtful  influences  which 
confront  the  missionary  on  his  arrival  on  the 
field  are  those  due  to  insalubrity  of  climate.  In 
North  China,  Korea  and  Persia  these  are  less  harm¬ 
ful  than  in  tropical  climates,  yet  even  then  they 
must  be  taken  account  of,  and  in  the  case  of  Persia 
in  particular  on  entering  the  country,  either  by  way 
of  the  Caspian  or  the  Persian  Gulf,  where  unhealth¬ 
ful  zones  must  be  passed  through.  In  the  interior, 
the  altitude  of  our  stations,  ranging  from  3,500  to 
6,000  feet,  proves  to  many  a  disturbing  element.  The 
air  in  such  altitudes  as  Persia,  Mexico,  Guatemala, 
and  Colombia  is  much  rarer  than  at  sea  level,  and 
is  less  rich  in  oxygen.  It  therefore  becomes  neces¬ 
sary  to  inhale,  so  far  as  possible,  only  pure  air,  and 
as  much  of  it  as  possible.  Much  out-door  exercise  is 
important  in  order  to  secure  these  results,  and  to 
increase  the  capacity  of  the  lungs  for  air.  This, 
with  the  difference  in  atmospheric  pressure  and 
other  causes,  throws  on  the  heart  a  greater  burden 
than  customary,  and  functional  disturbances  or 
dilatation  may  result.  The  circulation  in  the 
brain  and  nerve  centres  is  impeded,  and  insomnia 
and  nervous  prostration  result,  aggravated  by  the 
anemia  due  to  a  malarious  atmosphere,  which  is 

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Counsel  to  N  e  w  ill  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


everywhere  present.  The  hot  sun  of  summer,  whose 
rays  the  rare  atmosphere  but  feebly  intercepts,  and 
the  constant  glare  from  dead  walls  and  barren 
plains  intensify  these  troubles,  when  once  the  nor¬ 
mal  tone  of  the  nervous  system  is  impaired.  The 
preventive  measures  indicated  are,  first,  to  cover 
all  garden  walls,  if  possible,  with  vines,  woodbine, 
hop  or  grape.  This  cannot  be  done,  however,  without 
an  abundance  of  running  water,  and  unless  that  is 
secured  in  purchasing  property,  it  can  hardly  be  ac¬ 
complished  in  some  stations  at  all.  Second,  to 
spend  much  time  out  doors  where  the  eye  can  rest 
on  verdure  and  foliage  and  the  other  benefits  of  out¬ 
door  life  mentioned  may  be  secured.  Third,  to  elim¬ 
inate  as  far  as  possible  every  influence,  internal  or 
external,  which  disturbs  the  tranquility  of  mind 
and  heart,  which  is  so  important  an  element  in  the 
missionary’s  well-being.  More  will  be  said  on  tins 
topic  later  on. 

The  water  supply  must  be  made  a  matter  of  con¬ 
stant  care  and  watchfulness;  first,  to  see  that  it  is 
obtained  from  a  source  which  cannot  be  contami¬ 
nated  through  wells  higher  up;  second,  to  see  that  it 
is  kept  pure  after  being  brought  into  the  house. 
Boiling  does  not  alone  insure  its  purity.  The  jugs 
in  which  the  boiled  water  is  kept  are  very  porous, 
and  thus  they  cool  the  water  by  its  constant  evapo¬ 
ration  from  the  outside.  But  for  the  same  reason 
the  substance  of  the  vessel  becomes  filled  with  the 
impurities,  as  with  a  filter,  and  the  jug  must  either 
be  “fired”  from  time  to  time,  or  replaced  by  a  new 
one.  I  need  not  say  that  typhoid  fever,  cholera 
dysentery  and  other  diseases  are  propagated  by  im¬ 
pure  water.  That  is  now  well  enough  understood 
by  all. 


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Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


It  is  well  to  remind  you  that  though  the  climate 
of  some  stations,  such  as  those  we  occupy  in  Persia, 
is  very  dry,  and  therefore  favorable  in  itself  for 
consumptives,  there  is  notwithstanding  a  great 
deal  of  tuberculosis  prevalent  in  these  lands.  This 
is  doubtless  due  in  Persia  to  the  dampness  of  the 
houses,  which  are  built  of  earth,  often  impregnated 
highly  with  hygroscopic  alkalies,  and  in  which  the 
simplest  principles  of  ventilation  are  systematically 
violated.  See  to  it  that  the  walls  and  floors  of  vour 
houses  are  kept  dry,  and  that  the  rooms  are  capable 
of  good  ventilation. 

Owing  to  the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere  radiation 
is  very  rapid,  and  if  overheated  one  cools  very 
quickly  on  sitting  down  in  the  shade.  Therefore, 
extra  care  is  needed  to  avoid  chills  and  congestions, 
and  either  light  woolen  under  garments  should  be 
worn  in  summer  or  wraps  should  be  always  at  hand 
when  out  doors. 

He  was  a  wise  man  whose  thought  found  expres¬ 
sion  in  the  maxim,  “When  in  Rome  do  as  the  Ro¬ 
mans  do,”  no  matter  how  many  persons  justify 
themselves  by  it  in  doing  things  when  abroad  that 
they  would  be  ashamed  to  be  suspected  of  doing  at 
home.  It  is  easy  to  criticise  the  unstudied  Oriental 
for  his  primitive  methods  in  manufactures,  and  in 
agriculture,  for  the  deliberation  with  which  he  sets 
out  on  a  journey,  and  proceeds  from  stage  to  stage, 
for  his  habit  of  sleeping  directly  after  each  of  his 
principal  meals,  for  the  seclusion  of  his  women,  and 
the  narrowness  and  crookedness  of  his  streets.  We 
are  apt  to  forget  that  the  eternal  fitness  of  things 
requires  co-ordination  and  correlation  of  the  differ¬ 
ent  members  of  an  organism.  The  armor  of  Saul 
was  only  a  burden  to  the  youthful  David,  and  West- 

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Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


ern  civilization  would  only  shackle  the  Orient  until 
the  conditions  out  of  which  that  civilization  was  de¬ 
veloped  had  also  become  the  possession  of  Eastern 
peoples.  So  long  as  the  atmosphere  of  the  harem 
prevails,  the  seclusion  of  women,  the  zenana,  the 
veil,  and  the  despotism  of  the  mother-in-law  are 
necessary.  The  narrow,  crooked  streets  of  an  Orien¬ 
tal  city  are  an  offense  to  the  American,  newly  ar¬ 
rived,  but  they  have  the  advantage  that  under  a 
blazing  noonday  sun  one  cannot  pursue  their  tor¬ 
tuous  courses  far  in  any  direction  without  meeting 
with  a  good  many  bits  of  welcome  and  refreshing 
shade.  The  plowman  prefers  the  crooked  stick, 
pointed  with  iron,  to  the  best  product  of  our  Amer¬ 
ican  manufactories,  for  various  reasons.  To  begin 
with  he  has  no  money  with  which  to  buy  an  Ameri¬ 
can  plow.  If  the  plow  were  given  him  his  thin  yoke 
of  steers  could  not  draw  its  share  through  the  hard 
sunbaked  soil.  If  a  second  yoke  of  cattle  were  given 
him,  he  would  have  nothing  with  which  to  feed 
them,  and  would  perhaps  have  no  second  boy  to  sit 
on  the  yoke  and  hold  it  down  in  place  on  the  shoul¬ 
ders  of  the  oxen.  Then  when  the  share  or  the 
woodwork  needs  mending  he  has  no  money  for  that 
purpose,  even  could  he  find  a  smith  or  carpenter 
who  knew  how  to  do  the  work.  So  he  wisely  con¬ 
tents  himself  with  the  plow  his  fathers  used  and 
leaves  the  use  of  agricultural  machinery  to  those 
for  whom  God  has  provided  such  things. 

The  Persian  never  undertakes  to  “beat  the  rec¬ 
ord,”  when  he  sets  out  on  a  journey,  but  he  does  try 
to  make  himself  as  comfortable  as  possible  while 
on  the  road,  knowing  that  there  are  many  com¬ 
pensations  to  be  got  from  its  weariness  and  its  dis¬ 
comforts  if  one  make  the  best  of  his  opportunities. 

101 


0  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  N  c  id  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  c  s 


It  is  true  he  puts  himself  to  some  unnecessary  in¬ 
convenience  in  waiting  for  an  auspicious  conjunc¬ 
tion  of  the  stars  before  making  his  first  stage,  but 
his  first  “menzil”  is  usually  but  a  few  miles  distant, 
and  thence,  having  formally  inaugurated  his  jour¬ 
ney,  he  is  at  liberty  to  go  farther  when  it  pleases 
him.  He  therefore  has  time  to  inspect  his  equip¬ 
ment,  to  add  to  what  is  lacking,  and  discard  what 
is  found  superfluous.  This  done,  he  proceeds  on 
his  way  quietly  and  without  confusion,  and  with  the 
reasonable  prospect  of  arriving  at  his  next  menzil 
before  the  heat  of  the  sun  has  proved  exhausting, 
for  he  has  set  out  several  hours  before  sunrise,  and 
has  a  large  part  of  the  distance  covered  before  the 
cool  of  the  morning  has  passed. 

He  finds  many  other  advantages  in  this  early 
start.  He  doesn’t  wait  to  prepare  a  hearty  meal, 
which  would  necessarily  cause  considerable  delay, 
but  partakes  of  a  light  repast  of  tea,  dry  bread  and 
cheese,  and  is  quickly  in  the  saddle.  If  the  way  is 
long,  he  stops  about  ten  o’clock,  has  his  breakfast, 
and  takes  a  short  nap;  otherwise  he  makes  sure  to 
reach  his  next  menzil  in  time  for  an  afternoon 
siesta,  and,  should  he  chance  to  be  a  Behai  mis¬ 
sionary,  in  time  to  gather  around  him  afterwards  a 
little  audience,  and  explain  to  them  the  principles 
of  the  new  faith.  He  gets  to  bed  early,  as  do  his 
servants  and  animals,  and  arises  early  after  a  re¬ 
freshing  rest,  to  repeat  the  order  for  the  next  day. 

The  occidental,  taking  the  same  journey,  doesn’t 
consult  the  stars.  He  fixes  upon  a  day  for  his  de¬ 
parture,  divides  the  number  of  miles  to  be  traveled 
by  the  number  he  thinks  he  can  force  his  animals  to 
cover  in  a  day,  and,  if  he  can  find  menzils  for  the 
night  to  correspond,  decides  to  “be  there”  in  so 

102 


C o u n s e  1  to  N  e w  M  i s  s i o n a r  i  e s 


many  days.  He  doesn’t  like  early  rising,  so  lie  gets 
np  late,  and  he  doesn’t  like  traveling  on  an  empty 
stomach,  so  he  has  a  full  breakfast  prepared.  He 
consequently  begins  his  journey  when  it  is  already 
hot;  he  has  no  time  to  stop  for  his  mid-day  nap;  he 
arrives  at  his  menzil  late,  and  is  tired,  hungry,  and 
cross,  and  servants  and  animals  are  in  like  condi¬ 
tion.  His  ill-humor  is  aggravated  on  finding  that 
his  favorite  horse  has  a  loose  shoe,  and  that  his 
hostler,  in  the  hurry  of  departure,  had  forgotten 
the  bag  of  horse  shoe  nails  and  shoeing  instruments. 
He  is  a  missionary,  but  he  has  arrived  so  late  that 
after  the  necessary  things  are  done,  there  is  no  time 
left  to  gather  the  people  together  to  tell  them  of 
Christ;  he  gets  a  late  supper,  goes  late  to  bed,  gets 
up  late,  gets  off  late,  and  repeats  the  story  of  the 
first  day  to  the  end  of  the  journey.  He  arrives 
there  a  dav  or  two  in  advance  of  his  Persian  fellow- 

t/ 

traveler,  notwithstanding  he  has  rested  on  the  Sab¬ 
bath,  but  his  Sabbath’s  rest  has  not  compensated 
for  the  wear  and  tear  of  his  Western  methods  of 
travel.  He  has  gained  a  day  or  two  of  time,  and  lias 
shortened  his  period  of  effective  service  by  some 
weeks  or  months.  He  may  possibly  have  lost  an 
eternity  of  opportunity,  in  passing  by  on  the  other 
side,  in  his  haste  to  get  on,  some  who  would  have 
gladly  received  the  word  into  good  and  honest 
hearts,  had  he  waited  long  enough  to  find  them  out. 

In  carrying  on  work  within  the  station  it  is  bet¬ 
ter,  if  possible  to  bring  it  about,  to  adjust  your 
hours  for  eating  and  sleeping  to  synchronize  with 
those  of  the  people.  In  Persia  they  usually  arise 
with  the  sun  or  earlier,  say  their  prayers,  eat  a  very 
light  repast  of  tea  and  dry  bread,  and  from  then 
till  nearlv  noon  they  are  ready  for  business  or  so- 

103 


C o  u n  s  e  l  to  N e w  M  i  s  s  i  o n a r  i  e 8 


cial  intercourse,  and  if  the  missionary  were  able  to 
accustom  himself  to  the  taking  of  so  unsubstantial 
and  so  early  a  morning  meal,  he  would  find  that  the 
intervals  during  which  he  was  at  liberty  to  make 
and  receive  calls  were  greatly  lengthened,  a  point 
of  great  importance  in  making  appointments  with 
people  so  unpunctual  as  the  Persians. 

Anything  which  will  smooth  the  way  toward 
bringing  the  missionary  most  effectively  into  in¬ 
dividual  personal  contact  with  men  will,  if  he  have 
the  faculty  of  dealing  with  men  when  he  meets 
them,  result  in  the  greatest  good  to  the  work,  and 
in  diminishing  the  employment  of  wasteful  effort. 
To  one,  this  personal  work  will  be  exhausting;  to 
another  exhilarating.  It  should  be  made  the  aim  of 
every  one  to  minimize  the  friction  attending  it.  For, 
however  eloquent  he  may  be  as  a  preacher,  however 
skilful  a  physician,  or  learned  a  scholar,  it  will  not 
be  upon  masses  but  with  individuals  that  his  work 
will  count  for  most  in  the  end.  The  missionary 
should  make  it  easy  for  his  native  acquaintances  to 
drop  in  upon  him  frequently  without  feeling  that 
they  are  intruding,  or  without  compelling  them  to 
choose  an  hour  inconvenient  to  themselves  and 
their  friends  whom  they  may  wish  to  bring  with 
them. 

The  Persian  takes  his  first  hearty  meal  near  mid¬ 
day,  and  then  sleeps,  or  is  in  seclusion  for  several 
hours.  His  sleeping  after  a  full  meal  impairs  his 
digestion  to  the  same  extent  that  it  does  in  the  case 
of  an  infant  or  of  one  of  the  lower  animals.  From 
the  middle  of  the  afternoon  till  sundown  he  is  again 
at  leisure,  or  at  work,  as  the  case  may  be.  Could 
the  missionary’s  evening  meal  be  postponed  till  sun¬ 
set  here  is  another  considerable  interval,  in  which 

104 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  N  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


his  own  freedom  from  household  duties  and  that  of 
the  people  harmonize. 

But  it  is  not  always  easy  to  bring  this  about.  In 
stations  where  the  homes  of  the  missionaries  are 
scattered,  the  streets  are  often  closed  between  them 
by  gates,  which  are  prohibitory  to  passage  through 
them  not  long  after  dark,  so  if  there  are  social  or 
religious  meetings  to  attend  in  the  evenings,  supper 
must  be  eaten  before  going,  which  makes  it  very 
early,  or  after  returning,  which  brings  it  very  late. 
I  do  not  propose  a  solution  of  the  difficulty,  but 
only  to  present  an  ideal  which  I  wish  it  were  possi¬ 
ble  to  work  out.  I  have  frequently  spent  a  month 
or  more  at  a  time  as  a  guest  at  native  houses,  and 
have  been  surprised  to  observe  how  much  longer  the 
day  appeared,  and  how  much  more  time  I  had  for 
making  and  receiving  calls  than  when  at  home,  even 
after  making  allowance  for  the  usual  details  of 
business  which  consume  time  so  often  in  the  morn¬ 
ing. 

The  more  nearly  the  missionary  can  conform  to 
the  ways  of  the  people,  in  so  far  as  their  ways  are 
not  hurtful,  the  more  readily  will  he  overcome  preju¬ 
dice,  and  prejudice  is,  next  to  original  sin,  the 
most  serious  obstacle  he  has  to  encounter  in  his 
work  for  souls.  I  do  not  think  that  in  Persia  any¬ 
thing  would  be  gained  by  wearing  native  costumes. 
It  would  probably  create  distrust;  yet  I  would  rec¬ 
ommend,  earnestly,  for  medical  missionaries  visit¬ 
ing  the  harems,  or  even  in  the  dispensaries,  where 
many  women  come  for  treatment,  at  such  times 
only,  the  adoption  of  the  Prince  Albert  coat,  well 
buttoned,  rather  than  the  cutaways  so  commonly 
worn,  and  which  are  regarded  by  orthodox  Persians 
as  hardly  decent,  even  for  the  society  of  men.  So 

105 


C  o  u  n  s  c  /  to  New  1/  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s* 


the  use  of  a  head  covering  and  light  veil,  by  the  mis¬ 
sionary  ladies  when  passing  through  the  streets, 
and  of  a  light  wrap  when  tight-fitting  waists  are 
worn,  and  their  avoidance  of  traveling  alone,  with 
only  menservants  in  attendance,  are  to  my  mind 
sufficiently  slight  concessions  to  prejudices  which 
exist  in  the  minds  of  the  native  women  as  well  as 
men,  and  which  must  needs  be  conciliated  if  we 
are  to  reach  their  hearts.  We  do  not  dispel  preju¬ 
dice  by  ignoring  it,  much  less  by  deliberately  run¬ 
ning  counter  to  it.  The  fable  which  shows  how 
easily  the  sun  persuaded  the  traveler  to  remove  his 
overcoat,  when  the  strongest  efforts  of  the  north 
wind  had  only  resulted  in  making  him  cling  to  it 
the  more  tenaciously,  is  well  worth  the  careful  con¬ 
sideration  of  the  missionary  who  would  win  the  peo¬ 
ple’s  hearts  to  Christ.  We  must  get  down  off  our 
high  horse  of  self-conceit  if  we  would  be  yoked  to¬ 
gether  in  a  common  service  with  Him  who  is  meek 
and  lowly  in  heart.  Our  efforts  to  remove  causes 
of  prejudices  operating  against  ourselves  will  also 
bear  fruit  in  helping  us  to  overcome  our  own  preju¬ 
dices  against  the  people,  without  which  we  can  nev¬ 
er  make  a  beginning  of  rendering  them  effective 
help. 

These  tilings  have  a  very  important  bearing  on 
the  subject  of  my  paper.  The  ultimate  ideal  of  me¬ 
chanical  science  is  to  produce  a  frictionless  engine, 
which  shall  convert  the  sum  total  of  the  force  it 
generates  into  working  power.  An  engine  that  con¬ 
sumes  half  its  fuel  in  getting  up  steam  enough  to 
move  its  own  wheels,  can  find  no  place  for  itself  in 
the  world’s  work  of  the  twentieth  century.  So  the 
missionary  who  expends  a  large  share  of  his  poten¬ 
tial  energy  in  overcoming  obstacles  which  his  own 

106 


C  o  u  n  s  e  1  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  vies 


hand  has  planted  in  his  pathway,  needs  well  to  con¬ 
sider  whether  in  so  doing  he  is  following  Christ,  or 
that  most  hateful  and  most  deceitful  of  the  enemies 
of  Christ,  self.  Self  love  in  the  hearts  of  Christ’s 
messengers  is  at  the  bottom  of  more  of  onr  failures 
in  evangelizing  the  nations  thus  far,  than  any  ele¬ 
ments  of  our  physical  or  political  environment.  It 
was  said  of  a  distinguished  contemporary  artist, 
that  he  was  “master  of  the  gentle  art  of  making  ene¬ 
mies.’7  It  is  not  desired  that  his  pupils  should 
find  their  way  to  the  mission  field.  If  it  be  objected 
that  the  duty  of  the  missionary  is  not  to  conciliate 
falsehood,  but  to  overthrow  it,  I  would  reply  that 
the  impact  of  a  projectile  is  not  augmented  by  the 
friction  of  a  rusty  bore. 

There  are  many  things  in  the  relation  of  mission¬ 
aries  to  one  another,  particularly  in  isolated  sta¬ 
tions,  which  tend  to  jar  upon  delicate  sensibilities, 
and  which  demand  the  constant  exercise  of  gentle¬ 
ness,  patience  and  forbearance.  The  work  is  wear¬ 
ing  and  exhausting,  and  its  demands  endless,  and 
the  moral  as  well  as  physical  tone  of  the  missionary 
suffers  from  lack  of  opportunity  for  recreation  and 
lack  of  many  accustomed  aids  to  faith  found  in  the 
social  and  religious  institutions  of  the  home-land. 
Under  such  circumstances  it  is  not  difficult  for  one 
to  fall  into  a  querulous  and  critical  attitude  toward 
one’s  fellow-missionaries,  to  misconstrue  their  mo¬ 
tives,  to  forget  that  they  are  subject  to  like  demands 
upon  their  time,  and  like  deprivations.  The  charity 
that  rules  its  own  spirit,  that  bridletli  the  tongue, 
that  beareth  all  things,  believeth  all  things,  liopeth 
all  things,  endureth  all  things,  has  a  positive  ther¬ 
apeutic  value,  both  for  its  possessor  and  for  the  en¬ 
tire  circle  who  are  blessed  by  its  exercise.  At  home, 

107 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


if  a  chosen  companionship  prove  uncongenial,  one 
can  turn  to  others,  but  in  the  limited  circle  of  the 
mission  station  this  resource  fails,  and  one  must 
either  adjust  himself  to  his  environment  or  pay  the 
penalty.  The  most  unhappy  feature  of  it  is  that  the 
penalty  must  also  be  exacted  of  all  his  fellow-mis¬ 
sionaries  likewise,  by  so  much  diminishing  their  col¬ 
lective  power  for  work.  Herbert  Spencer’s  defini¬ 
tion  of  life,  as  translated  into  common  terms  by 
Drummond,  is  “The  adjustment  of  interior  rela¬ 
tions  to  exterior  relations.”  In  proportion  as  the 
missionary  is  able  to  accomplish  this,  in  that  pro¬ 
portion  does  he  possess  the  more  abundant  life,  for 
he  cannot  do  it  truly  unless  his  environment  is  God 
and  his  teacher  is  His  Spirit.  Truly  does  the  poet 
say,  “He  most  lives  who  thinks  most,  feels  the  no¬ 
blest,  acts  the  best.” 

There  can  be  no  safeguard  provided  for  the  health 
of  the  body  so  perfect  and  so  sure  as  that  the  organ¬ 
ism  shall  find  in  love  its  perfect  environment.  For 
“he  that  dwelleth  in  love  dwelleth  in  God.”  And 
nothing  can  so  certainly  insure  the  perfect  .co-ordi¬ 
nation  of  the  powers  of  the  organism  itself,  as  love 
— not  love  in  the  abstract,  a  compound  of  hysterical 
emotion  and  sentimental  cant,  but  love  which,  first 
given  of  God,  is  reflected  back  to  Him  through  the 
only  medium  by  which  it  can  outwardly  express  it¬ 
self,  our  fellow-men ;  love  which  is  not  easily  pro¬ 
voked,  thinketh  no  evil.  To  love  one  another  is  the 
old  commandment  which  becomes  new  with  each 
new  opportunity  for  its  fulfillment,  of  which  the 
wise  man  has  said  that  “length  of  days,  and  years 
of  life,  and  peace  shall  (it)  add  to  thee.” 

He  was  a  wise  traveler  who,  on  setting  out  upon 
his  journeys,  always  laid  aside  a  definite  sum  to 

108 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


meet  losses  incurred  by  overcharges,  exactions,  and 
petty  robberies  under  various  names.  It  was  in¬ 
evitable,  lie  said,  that  these  offences  should  come. 
Why  should  he  allow  them  to  rob  him  of  all  the  en¬ 
joyment  of  his  trip.  He  preferred  to  pay  all  such 
exactions  out  of  the  fund  set  aside  for  them,  and 
then  to  dismiss  them  from  his  mind.  I  should 
count  this  man's  philosophy  an  indispensable  part 
of  every  missionary’s  outfit.  When  tempted  to  in¬ 
veigh  against  the  conditions,  moral,  social,  political, 
sanitary,  that  one  is  confronted  with  constantly  in 
missionary  lands,  bear  in  mind  that  you  were  not 
sent  to  call  the  righteous  but  sinners  to  repentance. 
If  these  things  were  non-existent,  together  with  the 
causes  which  produced  them  and  other  evils,  your 
being  there  in  your  present  capacity  were  an  imper¬ 
tinence.  Decide  before  you  leave  home  whether  you 
are  prepared,  in  little  things  as  well  as  great,  to  en¬ 
dure  hardness  for  Christ’s  sake.  If  not  you  are  not 
called  to  the  foreign  field. 

You  will  be  tried  by  the  slowness  of  your  servants 
and  the  deliberation  with  which  citizens  and  labor¬ 
ers  of  every  kind  do  their  work.  If  you  are  a  proved 
mechanical  genius  you  may  venture  to  introduce 
some  modifications  into  their  ways  of  doing  things. 
But  I  would  recall  Kipling’s  warning  lines,  which 
you  will  enjoy  reading  better  after  a  few  years 
than  now. 

“O  it  is  not  good  for  the  Christian’s  health 
To  hustle  the  Aryan  brown; 

For  the  Christian  riles,  and  the  Aryan  smiles, 
And  he  wearetli  the  Christian  down. 

And  the  end  of  the  fight  is  a  tombstone  white 
With  the  name  o i  the  late  deceased, 

And  the  epitaph  drear,  ‘A  fool  lies  here, 

Who  tried  to  hustle  the  East.’  ” 

109 


IX 


MEDICAL  ADVICE  TO  NEW  MISSIONARIES 
By  W.  J.  Wanless,  M.  D.,  of  India 

'J'HE  missionary  should  remember  always  that  the 
care  of  his  health  is  a  matter  of  great  import¬ 
ance,  for  the  work’s  sake  as  well  as  his  own.  The 
missionary  is  the  most  valuable  property  the  church 
possesses  abroad  and  its  careful  preservation  is  a 
sine  qua  non  to  continuous  and  successful  service. 
This  does  not  mean  that  the  missionary  should  cod¬ 
dle  himself.  It  does  mean  that  he  be  sensible  and 
reasonable. 

The  proper  care  of  the  health  on  the  mission  field 
involves  first — 

Exercise. — Exercise  should  be  (1)  systematic — 
not  a  haphazard  attempt  to  get  a  little  exercise  oc¬ 
casionally.  There  should  be  a  set  time  for  exer¬ 
cise,  and  this  should  be  given  up  only  in  obedience 
to  most  urgent  calls  to  other  duty.  The  tendency 
in  all  tropical  and  semi-tropical  climates  is  for  the 
circulation  to  grow  sluggish,  the  liver  torpid  and 
the  muscles  relaxed  and  flabby;  for  all  this,  system¬ 
atic  exercise  is  the  only  preventative.  Of  course 
some  missionaries  who  travel  and  tour  constantly 
will  get  the  major  part  of  their  exercise  in  the  per¬ 
formance  of  their  regular  work,  but  frequently  get¬ 
ting  exercise  in  one’s  work  is  an  unsatisfactory 
makeshift  if  the  work  is  not  done  continually  out 
of  doors.  Systematic  exercise  is  necessary  in  order 
to  a  diversion  of  the  mind,  if  for  no  other  reason; 
(‘l)  The  form  of  exercise  is  not  a  matter  of  great  im- 

110 


C  o  u  n  s  c  l  to  N  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  vies 


portance,  provided  it  is  not  indulged  in  to  the  point 
of  exhaustion  or  profound  fatigue,  and  is  carried 
out  in  the  open  air.  Lawn  tennis,  badminton,  horse¬ 
back  riding,  brisk  club-swinging,  walking  on  level 
in  company,  hill  climbing,  gardening,  chopping 
wood,  etc.,  are  commonly  used  forms  of  exercise; 
(3)  The  time  to  be  given  to  daily  exercise  will  vary 
with  the  form  of  the  exercise;  half  an  hour  to  one 
hour  will  be  generally  sufficient;  (4)  A  cold  plunge, 
shower  or  sponge  bath  after  exercise,  followed  by  a 
brisk  rub  will  improve  the  value  of  the  recreation; 
(5)  Persons  suffering  from  heart  or  lung  disease 
‘should  not  indulge  in  active  exercise  without  con¬ 
sulting  a  physician;  ((3)  For  the  relief  of  chronic 
constipation,  if  general  exercise  is  not  sufficient,  it 
is  well  to  employ  exercises  which  act  mechanically 
upon  the  abdomen,  such  as  standing  erect  with 
arms  above  the  head  and  then  trying  to  touch  the 
floor  without  bending  the  knees,  or  lying  upon  the 
back  and  trying  to  sit  up  without  using  the  hands, 
etc.,  each  exercise  to  be  repeated  a  number  (10) 
of  times  daily. 

Bathing. — Most  missionaries  in  tropical  or  semi- 
tropical  climates  bathe  at  least  once  a  day,  which 
is  a  good  rule.  In  the  hottest  months  more  fre¬ 
quent  bathing  may  be  called  for.  Persons  accus¬ 
tomed  to  bathing  in  hot  water  at  home  should  accus¬ 
tom  themselves  to  the  cold  or  tepid  bath  on  the  mis¬ 
sion  field.  Persons  who  use  only  the  hot  bath  are 
more  susceptible  to  colds  than  those  who  use  the 
cold  bath.  Harm  is  frequently  done  to  young  chil¬ 
dren  by  the  constant  use  of  the  hot  bath.  From 
birth  children  should  be  bathed  in  tepid  and  prefer¬ 
ably  cool  or  cold  water.  It  is  not  necessary  or  ad¬ 
visable  to  change  suddenly.  Lowering  the  tempera- 

lii 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


ture  of  tlie  bath  gradually,  a  degree  a  week  for  ex¬ 
ample,  will  soon  enable  any  child  to  bear  cold  bath¬ 
ing  to  advantage.  Any  evil  effects  of  a  cold  bath 
are  avoided  by  a  brisk  rub  following  the  bath  and 
the  proper  clothing  of  the  body  afterwards.  A  chill 
from  a  bath  will  not  cause  malaria. 

Clothing. — Little  may  be  said  under  this  head 
except  that  whatever  kind  of  clothing  is  used  the 
abdomen,  chest  and  spine  should  be  properly  pro¬ 
tected  by  clothing  which  will  not  allow  rapid  evapo¬ 
ration  of  perspiration  and  cooling  of  the  surface. 
Generally  light  flannel  is  the  safest  and  most  satis¬ 
factory  material  to  wear  next  the  skin  over  the 
vital  parts.  A  flannel  binder  is  in  common  use  as 
a  protector  of  the  abdominal  organs  and  is  to  be 
commended.  The  legs  and  arms  of  children  in  hot 
climates  are  better  left  exposed.  Children  who  run 
barefoot  for  the  whole  or  part  of  the  day  are  health¬ 
ier  as  a  rule  than  those  who  do  not.  Prickly  heat 
is  best  relieved  by  frequent  bathing  and  change  of 
clothing  and  the  use  of  a  non-irritating  dusting 
powder,  such  as  starch,  talc,  etc. 

Food. — Common  sense  will  usually  dictate  as  to 
what  may  or  may  not  be  safely  taken  as  an  article 
of  diet.  A  mixed  diet  is  usually  the  best.  Unripe 
fruit,  fresh  bread,  strong  teas  and  coffee  and  rich, 
highly  seasoned  foods  are  common  causes  of  indi¬ 
gestion,  diarrhoea  and  dysentery.  On  the  other 
hand  persons  who  are  subject  to  constipation  may 
eat  of  certain  fresh  fruits,  such  as  figs,  prunes,  etc. 
Fruit  as  a  corrective  is  best  eaten  early  in  the  morn¬ 
ing.  In  tropical  climates  less  flesh  is  required  than 
in  a  temperate  zone.  Meals  should  be  lighter  as  a 
rule  and  more  frequent  than  at  home.  Overeating 
is  always  harmful ;  underfeeding  less  so. 

112 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


Water. — It  is  generally  unsafe  to  take  water  from 
public  wells  and  tanks  in  Asiatic  countries.  Most 
mission  stations  have  private  sources  of  water  sup¬ 
ply,  but  in  all  cases  it  is  a  good  rule  never  to  drink 
unboiled  water.  Do  not  depend  on  filtered  water. 
Filters  are  often  nothing  less  than  germ  traps.  Nev¬ 
er  boil  water  and  then  filter  it.  If  the  water  is 
murky,  filter,  then  boil.  Boiling  renders  any  water 
safe,  but  be  sure  it  is  boiled,  not  merely  heated.  It 
may  be  allowed  to  cool  before  drinking.  Earthen 
water  containers  soon  become  contaminated  with 
germ  life;  they  should  be  cleaned  and  scalded  fre¬ 
quently.  Glazed  lined  vessels  should  be  used  to 
store  the  water  after  it  is  boiled;  these  should  be 
kept  clean  by  scalding. 

Rest  and  Sleep. — The  missionary  more  than  the 
home  pastor  needs  regular  sleep  and  rest.  The 
bracing  atmosphere  of  the  home  climate  will  in  part 
atone  for  wakeful  and  sleepless  nights,  but  the  ener¬ 
vation  of  a  tropical  or  semi-tropical  climate  will 
add  insult  to  injury  due  to  loss  of  sleep.  Few 
missionaries  find  that  they  can  continue  uninter¬ 
ruptedly  and  with  impunity  the  Western  pace.  A 
mid-day  break  in  the  form  of  a  few  minutes’  to  an 
hour’s  nap,  with  a  couple  of  hours  of  recumbency, 
will  greatly  help  to  safeguard  the  strength,  increase 
endurance  and  prolong  life.  The  eight-hour  period 
of  sleep  in  twenty-four  should  be  faithfully  pre¬ 
served  and  guarded. 

The  Care  of  the  Eyes  and  Head. — All  new  mis¬ 
sionaries  who  have  had  the  slightest  trouble  with 
their  eyes  or  who  have  suffered  from  persistent 
headaches,  should  have  their  eyes  examined  for 
glasses  by  a  competent  oculist  (not  an  optician). 
The  study  of  the  characters  of  a  new  language  will 

113 


C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  vies 


often  develop  latent  errors  of  refraction  in  the  eyes, 
which  otherwise  might  show  no  symptoms.  It  is 
generally  unwise  to  study  by  lamplight  the  charac¬ 
ters  of  a  language  with  which  one  is  unfamiliar. 
Always  study  in  a  good  light.  It  is  well  to  protect 
the  eyes  from  the  glare  of  a  tropical  sun  when  out 
of  doors,  by  the  use  of  London  smoked  glasses.  A 
solution  of  boracic  acid  (10  grams  to  the  ounce),  in 
clear  water  is  a  useful  non-irritating  lotion  for  all 
forms  of  inflamed  or  irritable  eyes. 

Maternity. — The  most  important  considerations 
in  this  regard  are  given  in  another  paper.  In  ad¬ 
dition  to  the  advice  there  given  it  may  be  said  em¬ 
phatically  that  pregnancy  should  be  avoided  by 
women  in  a  weak  state  of  general  health  and  dur¬ 
ing  the  presence  of  any  exhausting  disease,  such  as 
chronic  dysentery,  malaria,  anemia,  persistent  in¬ 
somnia,  etc.  During  pregnancy,  particularly  dur¬ 
ing  the  time  that  the  usual  monthly  period  would 
occur,  violent  exercise  should  be  avoided  and  no 
quinine  should  be  taken.  In  tropical  and  semi-trop¬ 
ical  climates  the  enervation  and  relaxating  con¬ 
ditions  are  such  that  miscarriage  is  more  likely  to 
occur  than  in  a  temperate  climate.  Otherwise  the 
rules  observed  in  the  home-land  should  be  carried 
out  on  the  mission  field. 

Medicines. — Missionaries  should  avoid  drugging 
themselves,  especially  in  the  case  of  chronic  head¬ 
ache  or  continued  pain  of  any  sort.  Pnysicians’  di¬ 
rections  only  should  be  followed  under  such  circum¬ 
stances.  However,  most  missionaries,  where  a  phy¬ 
sician  is  not  available,  are  called  upon  to  take  medi¬ 
cines  at  some  time  or  other  for  acute  illness.  A  few 
household  remedies  and  their  common  use  are  sug¬ 
gested  below.  All  are  simple  and  well-known  reme- 

114 


Counsel  to  New  Mission  a  r  i  e  s 


dies.  For  further  uses  simple  books  ou  family  medi¬ 
cine,  such  as  “Moore’s  Family  Medicine  for  In¬ 
dia,”  or  “Warren’s  Household  Physician,”  may  be 
consulted. 

Mustard  Flour. — Useful  for  poultices,  blisters 
and  emetics. 

Linseed  Meal,  Tiro  Pounds. — Useful  as  a  poul¬ 
tice.  The  seeds  may  be  used  to  make  linseed  tea, 
useful  in  cough  and  scantiness  of  urine. 

Turpentine,  Eight  Ounces. — Useful  for  fomenta¬ 
tion.  A  tablespoonful  to  a  pint  of  hot  water.  May 
be  used  in  flatulent  diarrhcee^  a  few  drops  in  a  cup 
of  hot  water  occasionally. 

Castor  Oil,  Eight  Ounces. — May  be  applied  to 
sores  and  ulcers  by  adding  one  part  of  carbolic  acid 
to  thirty  of  the  oil.  Best  known  remedy  as  cathar¬ 
tic  at  outset  of  diarrhoea,  dysentery,  bronchitis, 
croup,  colic  in  children,  etc. 

Hantomin,  One-Quarter  Ounce. — For  intestinal 
worms.  Dose  for  child  five  years,  two  grains,  fol¬ 
lowed  in  eight  hours  by  cathartic.  Give  on  empty 
stomach. 

Calomel,  One-Quarter  Ounce. — Useful  as  cathar¬ 
tic  in  torpid  state  of  liver  and  constipation.  Gen¬ 
erally  best  given  at  night  (three  to  six  grains  for  an 
adult),  followed  by  a  dose  of  Epsom  salts  or  castor 
oil  on  rising.  Not  to  be  repeated  without  doctor’s 
orders. 

Epsom  Halts  ( Magnesium  Sulphate) ,  One  Pound. 
— Useful  simple  cathartic  for  adults.  Useful  in 
dysentery,  diarrhoea  and  constipation. 

Ipecacuanha ,  One  Ounce. — Specific  for  dysen¬ 
tery.  Must  be  taken  in  20  to  40  grain  doses  on  emp¬ 
ty  stomach.  Repeat  if  vomited,  and  remain  perfect- 


115 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


ly  quiet  in  bed,  with  head  low,  for  four  hours.  Con¬ 
tinue  use  two  to  three  times  daily  till  cured. 

Wine  of  Ipecac,  One  Ounce. — Useful  in  cough, 
croup,  bronchitis,  etc.  Dose  for  child  of  one  year 
five  to  ten  drops  every  two  to  three  hours. 

Paregoric,  One  Ounce. — Useful  for  colic  in  in¬ 
fants,  cough  and  bronchitis.  Dose  for  child  of  one 
year,  five  to  ten  drops. 

Spirits  of  Camphor,  Two  Ounces. — Useful  in 
cough,  in  fainting  spell,  cholera,  diarrhoea,  a  heart 
stimulant.  Dose,  five  to  ten  drops  dissolved  in 
liquor,  water  added  afterward.  . 

Aromatic  Spirit  of  Ammonia,  Two  Ounces. — Use¬ 
ful  in  bilious  headache,  flatulence,  weakness,  faint¬ 
ing,  etc.  Dose,  20  to  40  drops  in  water. 

Street  Spirits  of  Nitre,  Tivo  Ounces. — Useful  in 
cough,  colic,  irritability  of  bladder,  flatulence  and 
colic.  Dose,  10  to  40  drops  in  water. 

Strong  Ammonia,  One-Half  Ounce. — For  insect 
bites,  scorpion  stings,  etc.  Dose,  five  to  ten  drops 
dissolved  in  eight  to  ten  ounces  of  water  and  re¬ 
peated  every  ten  minutes  till  relieved. 

Dill  Water,  One  Ounce. — Useful  for  colic  in  in¬ 
fants. 

Quinine,  Ten  Ounces. — For  malaria,  etc.  Dose, 
five  to  fifteen  grains  between  attacks  of  fever.  Dose, 
one  to  two  grains  (one-grain  tablets)  thrice  daily, 
as  preventive.  Tablets  or  powders  are  preferable 
to  pills. 

Phenacetin,  One-Half  Ounce. — For  headache, 
rheumatism,  fever,  etc.  Dose,  five  to  ten  grains,  not 
to  be  given  to  persons  with  weak  heart. 

Chlorate  of  Potash,  One  Ounce. — Twenty  grains 
to  the  ounce  as  mouth  wash  and  gargle  in  sore 
mouth  and  throat.  Not  to  be  swallowed. 

116 


Counsel  to  N e w  Missionaries 


Borax  and  Honey ,  One  Ounce. — For  sore  mouth 
in  infants.  Apply  on  clean  linen  rag. 

Vaseline. — General  use  in  sores  and  skin  diseases. 
Sulphur  Ointment. — Application  in  itch  and 
parasitic  skin  diseases. 

Zinc  Ointment. — Useful  in  inflammatory  skin 

</ 

diseases. 

Carbolic  Acid ,  Two  Ounces. — Antiseptic  lotion. 
One-half  a  teaspoonful  to  15  ounces  of  water  for 
washing  wounds,  sores,  etc. 

A  Davidson  Syringe. 

A  Fountain  Syringe. 

A  Couple  of  Tiro-Ounce  Glass  Syringes. 

Measure  Glasses. 

Glass  Droppers. 

Books. — “Moore’s  Family  Medicine  for  India,” 
or  “Warren’s  Household  Physician.” 


117 


X 


SPECIAL  MEDICAL  COUNSEL  TO  WOMEN 

l MISSIONARIES 

By  Bertha  Caldwell ,  M.  I).,  Formerly  of  India 

VOU  have  applied  to  the  Board  of  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions  for  service  in  that  portion  of  God's 
vineyard,  and  I,  as  one  who  lias  been  “on  the 
field/’  have  been  asked  to  give  yon  a  few  private 
suggestions  regarding  your  health  and  how  to  fit 
yourself  physically,  both  before  starting  and  after 
you  have  reached  your  destination.  Xot  all  the  sug¬ 
gestions,  however,  that  would  fill  volumes  will  do 
any  good  unless  they  are  coupled  with  sound  com¬ 
mon  sense,  on  the  part  both  of  the  giver  and  of  the 
receivers,  and  so,  in  the  few  suggestions  I  am  privi¬ 
leged  to  give  you  I  shall  take  it  for  granted  that 
you  are  richly  endowed  with  a  practical  mind,  and 
really  wish  the  best  equipment  in  the  way  of  health 
that  it  is  possible  for  you  to  have. 

Let  me  begin,  then,  with  the  subject  of  eyes  and 
ask  you  whether,  when  you  have  been  studying  at 
college  or  teaching  or  doing  any  close  work,  your 
eyes  have  given  you  the  least  trouble.  If  so,  do  not 
dream  of  coming  to  a  foreign  country  without  con¬ 
sulting  a  leading  oculist.  Your  family  doctor  will 
not  do  in  this  case,  though  he  may  be  very  clever, 
but  it  is  a  specialist  you  need  now.  You  may  be  sta¬ 
tioned  in  a  country  where  there  is  no  such  person 
as  an  oculist,  and  you  know  the  day  for  buying 
glasses  in  the  bazar  is  over.  See  to  it,  then,  if  you 
have  the  slightest  doubt  of  your  eyes,  or  if  you  are 

118  ' 


Con  n  s g  1  to  N  e  w  M  i  s s  i o n  a r i e s 


a  sufferer  from  headaches  which  cannot  be  traced 
to  any  other  cause,  that  you  have  them  tested.  If 
you  find  you  need  glasses,  procure  two  pairs  to 
bring  with  you,  and  leave  your  prescription  with 
the  optician  in  case  of  accident.  The  Oriental  lan¬ 
guages  have  very  fine  characters,  most  trying  to  the 
beginner,  and  you  will  need  to  be  extremelv  careful 
and  shut  up  your  books  on  the  first  symptom  of  eye 
strain.  And  I  wish  to  say  to  those  who  already 
wear  glasses  that  it  will  be  a  wise  precaution  to 
have  your  eyes  retested,  and  wear  and  get  used  to 
your  glasses  a  few  weeks  before  sailing.  I  have 
known  several  sad  cases  where  the  young  mission¬ 
aries  put  off  the  final  test  till  the  last  thing  before 
sailing  and  suffered  the  penalty  for  years  after  in 
badly  fitted  glasses. 

Regarding  your  ears,  nose  and  throat,  I  want  to 
ask  you  questions  that  your  examining  physician 
may  not  have  deemed  necessary,  or  may  not  have 
thought  essential  in  relation  to  your  general  health. 
And  so  they  may  not  be — in  America — but  remem¬ 
ber,  you  are  probably  going  to  a  country  where 
there  is  not  a  single  specialist  in  nose,  throat  and 
ear  diseases,  and  if  you  have  been,  even  in  the  very 
slightest  degree  annoyed  by  these  troubles  at  home, 
a  treacherous  tropical  climate  will  lay  hold  on  these 
weak  spots  of  yours  and  increase  your  annoyance 
tenfold.  Are  you  slightly  deaf,  or  if  you  have  a 
“cold,”  do  your  ears  ever  “run”?  Remember,  you 
will  need  the  very  keenest  hearing  to  get  the  lan¬ 
guage  perfectly.  Do  you  have  a  slight  catarrh  in 
the  winter,  having  to  do  considerable  “hawking" 
when  you  rise  in  the  morning?  Then  allow  me  to 
suggest  that  you  consult  your  doctor  and  become 
cured  of  this  annoyance  before  you  start,  or  the  first 

119 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 

rainy  season  will  see  yon  laid  up  for  days,  and  prob¬ 
ably  weeks,  with  a  weak  throat.  Every  form  of  mis¬ 
sionary  work  is  dependent  on  much  talking  and 
singing,  and  if  your  throat  gives  out  and  you  be¬ 
come  exhausted  after  the  first  lesson  or  the  first 
song,  yon  will  be  poorly  equipped  indeed  for  your 
work.  Cases  of  this  kind  in  missionaries  come  un¬ 
der  my  notice  only  too  frequently. 

It  seems  almost  superfluous  to  mention  the  teeth, 
yet  some  missionaries  come  out  to  foreign  fields 
very  badly  equipped  in  this  particular,  because  of 
ignorance  of  the  fact  that  foreign  countries,  such 
as  you  and  I  are  interested  in  are  not  over-stocked 
with  dentists.  In  India  there  are  a  few  American 
dentists  scattered  at  long  distances,  but  even  in 
a  sudden  emergency  it  is  agony  to  go  a  day’s  travel 
by  rail  and  several  hours  by  tonga  and  dandi,  in 
search  of  some  one  to  relieve  the  pain.  You  should 
have  your  teeth  examined  just  before  you  start  and 
lay  in  a  large  stock  of  tooth  brushes,  which  are  gen¬ 
erally  both  expensive  and  inferior  in  quality  outside 
of  England  or  America. 

And  now  I  ask,  have  you  the  faintest  suspicion 
of  a  goitre?  You  may  smile  at  that  and  wonder 
why  I  ask  it,  but  it  is  astonishing  how  common  it 
seems  to  be  in  young  women,  and  if  I  had  not  seen 
several  young  missionaries  just  out  from  home  suf¬ 
fering  with  slight  goitres,  which  had  to  be  treated 
for  months  by  painful  methods,  I,  too,  might  not 
have  deemed  it  important  enough  to  mention.  In¬ 
dia  especially  is  the  country  for  large  goitres  in 
women,  due  to  certain  drinking  waters,  and  even 
the  smallest  goitres  increase  very  rapidly.  So  let 
me  recommend  you  to  remain  out  of  a  tropical 
country  until  every  trace  of  it  has  disappeared. 

120 


C  o  u  n  s  e  1  to  N  e  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  8 


Tropical  countries  play  havoc  with  people  of 
sedentary  habits  in  the  way  of  producing  most  ob¬ 
stinate  constipation,  and  constipation  produces  a 
train  of  symptoms,  such  as  headache  and  listless¬ 
ness.  Nature  seems  to  have  provided  for  this  in 
the  abundance  and  character  of  her  fruits;  exer¬ 
cise,  too,  in  some  shape  or  form  is  absolutely  nec¬ 
essary  and  ought  to  be  taken  with  the  same  regu¬ 
larity  as  the  daily  bath.  Missionaries  overlook  the 
fact  that  the  reason  Government  officials  stand  hot 
climates  so  well  is  because  they  believe  in  a  great 
deal  of  exercise  after  work  hours.  It  is  a  well  dem¬ 
onstrated  fact  that  with  a  stipulated  amount  of  ex¬ 
ercise  the  bowels  will  be  kept  in  good  order  and  the 
pores  of  the  skin  well  open.  If,  coupled  with  exer¬ 
cise,  a  daily  cold  bath  be  indulged  in,  the  body  will 
be  in  the  best  possible  condition  to  combat  serious 
illness  or  sudden  epidemics. 

And  now  I  am  going  to  overlook  anv  weakness 
of  heart,  lungs,  liver,  spleen  or  kidneys,  knowing 
that  these  are  points  upon  which  your  examining 
physician  will  place  much  stress,  and  upon  which 
you  also  will  naturally  be  most  particular,  and  I 
will  speak  to  you  of  several  things  especially  per¬ 
taining  to  you  as  a  woman.  I  want  to  inquire  if 
you  suffer  from  backache,  low  down  in  the  spine, 
which  makes  you  perfectly  miserable  at  times ;  or 
when  tired,  do  you  have  a  dragged  down  feeling  for 
which  you  cannot  account,  accompanied  by  other 
signs  of  female  weakness?  You  ought  not  to  come 
to  your  appointed  place  until  all  this  is  remedied, 
and  it  is  wisest  to  consult  a  good  woman  physician 
on  the  subject.  You  may  find  far  more  ailing  you 
than  you  ever  dreamed  of.  You  have  no  more  right 
to  be  laid  up  at  “certain  periods”  in  the  month  with 

1 2  L 


C  o  it  n  s  c  l  t  o  N  e  w  M  i  s  $  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


pain  and  backache  while  on  the  field — pain  which 
could  have  been  remedied  at  home  had  yon  been  con¬ 
scientious  about  it — than  you  have  to  take  several 
days  from  your  school  or  office  work  in  your  own 
country.  Your  employer  would  not  permit  your  be¬ 
ing  absent  periodically;  neither  ought  you  to  expect 
the  Board  to  allow  you  such  a  privilege.  It  is 
necessary  for  missionaries  to  be  all  the  more  con¬ 
scientious  as  to  their  time,  though  the  Board  is  not 
a  hard  taskmaster.  There  are  medical  missionaries 
to  help  you  if  anything  happens  to  you  on  the  field, 
but  it  is  your  duty  to  lighten  their  burdens  all  you 
can  by  coming  to  your  work  as  well  equipped  in 
body  as  you  are  expected  to  be  in  mind. 

You  may  be  expecting  to  come  out  married,  or  to 
be  married  soon  after  landing,  and  for  you  I  want 
to  say  just  a  word:  The  first  year  on  any  mission 
field  is  a  hard  one;  the  process  of  acclimation,  of 
beginning  on  years  of  language  study,  of  settling  in 
a  new  home,  of  learning  the  natures  and  customs  of 
the  people  for  whose  souls’  good  you  have  come  to 
work — you  will  find  all  these  very  trying,  and  if 
you  attempt  to  assume  the  responsibilities  of  moth¬ 
erhood  at  the  same  time,  you  will  surely  find  you 
must  neglect  some  one  important  thing  that  yon 
will  regret  all  your  missionary  life.  One’s  body 
goes  through  a  changing  process  in  acclimation. 
Why,  then,  put  it  to  a  further  strain  with  the 
changes  which  come  with  approaching  motherhood? 
I  would  not  for  an  instant  have  yon  shirk  this  re¬ 
sponsibility  for  all  time,  but,  in  general,  I  can 
scarcely  think  of  anything  so  debilitating  to  a 
woman  in  a  tropical  country,  so  trying  to  her 
temper,  so  deadening  to  her  interest  in  her  mis¬ 
sionary  work,  so  prone  to  shorten  her  period 

122 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


of  usefulness  to  the  mission  cause,  or  to  her 
children  themselves,  as  child  bearing  at  frequent 
intervals.  A  sick  person  does  not  recover  from 
the  slightest  illness  in  a  hot  country  as  quickly 
as  in  a  cold  one.  It  stands  to  reason,  then, 
that  it  takes  some  time  for  a  woman’s  generative 
organs  to  recover  tone  after  such  a  great  change. 
It  has  been  estimated  by  those  who  have  been 
interested  in  the  subject  that  fully  three  years 
ought  to  elapse  between  children,  both  for  the  good 
of  the  mother  and  the  child.  You  may  think  that 
such  an  arrangement  may  not  be  in  your  power. 
Careful  consideration  of  the  subject  with  the  man 
you  love  and  who  has  promised  to  protect  you  in 
every  way,  and  a  perfect  and  prayerful  understand¬ 
ing  with  each  other  will  show  von  vour  duty.  A 
woman  will  neither  be  able  to  do  the  work  God  has 
sent  her  out  to  do,  nor  to  give  the  care  and  attention 
to  the  children  God  will  give  her,  unless  she  keeps 
her  body  in  the  best  tone  possible. 


123 


XI 


SUNDRY  PRACTICAL  SUGGESTIONS 
By  the  Rev.  II.  II.  Jessup,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  of  Syria 

AS  you  enter  on  your  work  as  a  missionary  begin 
humbly.  The  message  you  bring  is  divine, 
but  the  messenger  is  human.  You  are  a  stranger  in 
a  strange  land.  You  cannot  speak  a  word  of  the 
language. 

I.  The  people  think  that  because  you  do  not 
know  their  language  you  do  not  know  anything. 
They  pity  you,  and,  perhaps,  despise  you.  After 
all  the  years  of  your  study  and  preparation  you 
must  begin  at  the  A  B  C,  and  like  a  child  learn  to 
talk  and  read  and  write  again. 

You  will  be  wise  if  you  gracefully  accept  the  sit¬ 
uation  and  take  the  attitude  of  a  learner,  not  only 
in  language,  but  in  social  customs  and  business 
relations.  You  will  soon  find  that  “they  didn’t 
know  everything  down  in”  your  town  or  country. 
When  I  came  to  Syria  in  1856  I  thought  the 
people  foolish  in  always  boiling  their  fresh  milk 
before  using  it,  and  in  their  dread  of  consumption 
as  an  infectious  disease.  They  had,  however, 
learned  by  ages  of  experience  what  Western  bac¬ 
teriologists  have  just  found  out.  Do  not  think 
everything  American  necessarily  good,  or  every¬ 
thing  Asiatic  or  African  necessarily  bad. 

The  three  years  spent  in  language  study  will  be 
no  loss.  If  you  could  plunge  into  your  work  on 
your  first  arrival,  knowing  the  language,  but  know¬ 
ing  nothing  of  the  habits,  prejudices,  customs,  cour- 

124 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


tesies,  proprieties,  religious  tenets  and  superstitions 
and  national  tastes  of  the  people,  you  would  make 
more  enemies  in  a  year  than  you  could  unmake  in 
many  years.  Your  blunders  would  stick  to  you  and 
be  associated  with  you  in  the  minds  of  the. people, 
and  they  would  have  a  nickname  for  you  which  you 
could  not  shake  off.  A  stranger  in  any  land  needs 
to  walk  cautiously,  especially  if  he  comes  as  an 
avowed  reformer.  In  1856  I  took  lessons  in  Arabic 
grammar  in  Tripoli,  Syria,  of  Sheikh  Owad,  whose 
room  was  near  the  great  Mosque.  We  sat  on  the 
floor,  the  window  opening  on  a  level  with  the  street. 
He  had  his  feet  drawn  up  under  his  flowing  robe. 
I  could  not  sit  cross-legged,  and  sat  with  my  feet 
extended.  He  turned  red  in  the  face,  and,  apolo¬ 
gizing,  begged  me  to  hide  my  feet,  “For,”  he  said, 
“if  the  Effendis  pass  and  see  a  man’s  feet  projecting 
that  way,  I  shall  lose  their  respect.”  To  enter  a 
Moslem  house  or  a  mosque  with  shoes  soiled  from 
the  street  and  step  on  their  clean  rugs,  on  which 
they  press  their  foreheads  in  prayer,  is  looked  on 
as  utter  boorishness.  Far  better  wear  overshoes 
and  take  them  off  at  the  door.  A  true  Moslem  will 
not  wear  laced  shoes,  which  require  so  much  time 
in  putting  on  and  off. 

Study  the  national  customs  while  you  are  study¬ 
ing  the  language,  and  remember  what  you  learn.  A 
few  colossal  blunders  will  promote  your  growth  in 
humility.  It  would  be  of  more  value  to  you  to  hear 
their  remarks  about  you  than  for  them  to  under¬ 
stand  your  remarks  about  them.  It  takes  men  of 
different  nationalities  a  long  time  to  understand 
each  other’s  tastes,  customs  and  virtues. 

II.  Hold  on.  Dr.  Van  Dyck  was  once  asked, 
What  is  the  most  important  qualification  of  a  mis- 

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C  o  u  n  s  e  l  to  N  e  to  M  issionaries 


sionary?  He  said:  “Do  one  thing  and  stick  to  it.” 
Regard  your  work  as  a  life  work.  The  successful 
men  are  those  who  begin  right  and  persevere.  Let 
nothing  turn  you  aside.  You  may  have  offers  from 
home  churches  or  professorial  chairs  or  diplomatic 
office  or  lucrative  commercial  posts,  or  may  be  as¬ 
sailed  by  doting  family  friends  who  are  sure  you 
are  too  good  a  man  to  be  “thrown  awav  on  the 
heathen,  where  any  dolt  would  do  as  well,”  etc. 
But  “set  your  face  steadfastly”  forward.  Your 
usefulness  will  increase  as  you  grow  older  and 
wiser.  A  half-hearted  missionary  had  better  stay 
at  home.  Let  it  be  understood  that  nothing  but  the 
hand  of  God  can  separate  you  from  the  work.  It  is 
a  life  enlistment.  Trials  and  bereavements  may 
come.  They  will  come.  But  let  them  lit  you  the 
better  for  more  sanctified  and  holier  service  and 
not  frighten  you  away  from  your  post.  I  knew  of 
a  missionary  who  was  invited  to  a  theological  pro¬ 
fessorship  at  home  after  being  less  than  two  years 
on  the  field.  His  old  professors  said  to  him :  “We 
want  a  man  of  a  genuine  missionary  spirit  in  this 
seminary.”  He  replied:  “If  I  took  this  post  I 
could  not  open  my  mouth  on  missions,  for  when  I 
would  say  to  the  students,  Won  ought  to  go  abroad/ 
they  would  reply,  ‘Why  didn’t  you  go?’  ‘I  did  go.’ 
‘Then,  why  did  you  return?’  ‘To  take  this  professor¬ 
ship.’  ‘Very  well,  we’ll  stay  and  take  professor¬ 
ships  without  all  that  expense  to  the  churches.’  ” 
No  man  should  leave  the  missionary  work  unless 
driven  out  of  it  by  the  clear  indications  of  God’s 
providence. 

And  when  your  mind  is  fixed  you  will  be  happier. 
This  is  to  be  my  country  and  my  people.  Here  I 
will  live  and  die.  All  I  am  and  have  shall  be  de- 

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C  o  u  n  s  e  1  to  X  c  w  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


voted  to  their  interests,  with  no  looking  back  for 
happiness  or  service  to  my  dear  native  land. 

III.  Identify  yourself  as  far  as  possible  with 
the  people.  Yon  cannot  well  imitate  the  dress  of 
African  savages,  or  eat  the  food  of  Bedouin  Arabs, 
but  you  can  become  one  of  them  in  the  higher  and 
nobler  features  of  love,  sympathy  and  service,  of 
helpfulness  and  brotherly  counsel.  And  avoid  dis¬ 
paraging  remarks  about  them  as  contrasted  with 
your  own  people  and  country. 

In  matters  of  morals  and  sanitary  rules  and 
measures  you  should  be  wise,  firm  and  kind  while 
uncompromising.  Try  and  love  what  seems  unlove¬ 
ly.  Try  to  like  their  customs  and  language. 

IV.  At  the  Missionary  Conference  of  Christian 
workers,  held  in  Bramana,  Mount  Lebanon,  August, 
1901,  all  were  requested  to  write  briefly  the  three 
chief  characteristics  of  the  ideal  missionary.  Nine¬ 
ty  papers  were  handed  in.  Among  the  features 
mentioned  were  the  following: 

The  ideal  missionary  should  be  “sound  in  body 
and  mind,  able  to  eat  all  kinds  of  food,  pre¬ 
pared  to  rough  it,  if  necessary.”  When  Dr.  Will¬ 
iam  Goodell  and  Rev.  Daniel  Temple  were  young 
men  under  appointment  to  Syria  and  Smyrna 
they  visited  the  churches  in  New  England  pre¬ 
vious  to  sailing.  At  one  house  the  lady  offered 
them  a  rocking  chair.  Temple  declined,  saying,  “A 
missionary  must  learn  to  deny  himself.”  Goodell 
sprang  up  and  took  it,  saying,  “A  missionary  must 
take  what  is  offered  him  without  question.”  They 
were  both  rigid-  Both  did  good  work  and  Goodell 
was  a  model  of  Christian  cheerfulness  and  vivacity. 

Other  papers  read  as  follows:  “An  adequate 
knowledge  of  the  language,”  “A  natural  gift  of  lan- 

127 


Counsel  to  N  e w  M  issionarie s 


guages,”  “Bible  study,  heart  study,  language 
study,”  “A  student  of  the  problems  of  his  field.” 

“The  gift  of  humor  in  being  able  to  laugh  at  your¬ 
self  and  begin  again,”  “Able  to  preach  Christ  and 
not  laugh  at  the  superstitions  of  the  people.” 

The  following  were  on  the  subject  of  consecra¬ 
tion  :  “Perfectly  surrendered  to  God,”  “Willing  to 
efface  self  and  exalt  Christ,”  “A  Christlike  humil¬ 
ity,”  “A  bond-servant  of  Christ,”  “Emptied  of  self,” 
“A  keen  ear  to  detect  God’s  whisper,”  “Gentle  to 
all,”  “Apt  to  teach,”  “An  unadvertised  self-denial,” 
“Devotion  to  Christ,”  “A  firm  belief  in  the  people, 
ever  striving  to  find  the  angel  in  the  rough  block  of 
marble,”  “A  lifg  laid  down  at  the  feet  of  Christ,” 
“Of  a  single  purpose,”  “Earnestness  in  prayer  and 
soul-winning,”  “A  hunger  to  bring  souls  to  Christ,” 
“Christlike.” 

Much  along  the  same  line  were  these :  “Filled 
with  the  Spirit,”  “Baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit,” 
“A  witness  of  what  God  has  wrought  in  him,”  “An 
overflowing  spirit-filled  life.”  “Much  in  prayer  and 
intercession  for  others.” 

The  need  of  strong  faith  and  hope  seemed  to  be 
the  leading  thought  in  the  minds  of  others.  “Un¬ 
failing  faith,”  “Holds  on,  though  he  sees  no  fruit,” 
“Believes  in  the  possibility  of  human  nature,” 
“Holds  on  cheerfully  to  the  end,”  “Belief  in  the  pos¬ 
sibilities  of  human  nature,”  “Belief  in  God  that  He 
will  have  all  men  to  be  saved,”  “Sure  of  the  ulti¬ 
mate  triumph  of  the  Gospel,  “Constrained  by  the 
love  of  Christ,”  “A  Christlike  love  for  souls.” 

Then — undoubtedly  taught  by  experience — oth¬ 
ers  have  written  that  the  ideal  missionary  “needs 
tact,  courtesy  and  kindness  to  other  missionaries 
and  the  people,”  “Common  sense”  and  “sanctified 

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Counsel  to  N e w  M  i  s s  i o  n a r i e s 


common  sense,”  “A  wise  sympathy  with  others,” 
“The  wisdom  of  Solomon,”  “Able  to  understand  the 
people  and  win  their  confidence,”  “Interested  in 
every  one  he  meets,”  “Be  made  all  things  to  all 
men,”  “Keep  near  his  fellow-missionaries  and  near 
the  people,”  “Patience,”  “Compatibility,”  “The  abil¬ 
ity  to  set  others  to  work,”  “Power  of  living  at  peace 
with  all  men,”  “A  divine  sense  of  proportion,  put¬ 
ting  things  first  which  are  first,”  “One  who  lives  np 
to  what  he  preaches,”  “A  warm  heart,  a  hard  head, 
a  thick  skin,”  “Power  to  quench  the  thirst  of 
others,”  “He  keeps  at  it,”  “Selfishness  in  accept¬ 
ing  the  station  assigned,”  “Work  wisely;  neither 
wear  out  nor  rust  out.” 

In  the  discussion  which  followed  the  reading  of 
these  papers,  Mr.  Ellis,  of  Jerusalem,  stated  that 
an  elderly  member  of  a  missionary  Board  in  London 
was  requested  to  examine  a  young  missionary  can¬ 
didate.  He  replied:  “Send  him  to  me  at  four 
o’clock  to-morrow  morning.”  Promptly  at  four  A. 
M.  the  young  man  rang  the  door  bell  and  was  ad¬ 
mitted  to  a  cold,  dimly-lighted  waiting-room.  Five 
o’clock  came,  then  six  and  seven  and  eight,  and 
finally  the  venerable  man  entered,  and  without  a 
Word  of  apology  said  to  him:  “Can  you  read?” 
“Certainly.”  “Then  take  this  book  and  read.”  He 
did  so.  Then  the  examiner  said :  “Have  yon  stud¬ 
ied  arithmetic?”  “Yes.”  How  much  is  two  mul¬ 
tiplied  hv  two?”  “Four.”  “What  is  the  capital  of 
England?”  “London.”  Write  your  name  and  ad¬ 
dress.”  He  did  so.  “That  is  sufficient.  I  will  re¬ 
port  on  your  case.  Good  morning.”  The  young 
man  retired  in  great  amazement  at  this  singular  in¬ 
terview.  The  clergyman  reported  favorably  on  the 
candidate:  “First,  I  found  him  prompt — on  hand 

129 


C  o  ii  n  s  e  I  1  o  N  e  ir  .}[  i  s  s  i  a  u  a  r  i  e  s 

at  the  appointed  time.  Second,  lie  was  patient.  He 
waited  for  me  four  hours.  Third,  he  was  meek.  He 
did  not  complain,  though  I  insulted  him  and  treat¬ 
ed  him  as  a  child.  Fourth,  he  knows  the  principles 
of  arithmetic  and  geography.  Fifth,  he  has  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  in  not  pleasing  himself  or  asking 
an  explanation  of  my  conduct,  or  being  offended 
at  my  insults.  I  recommend  that  he  be  appointed.” 
And  he  was. 

Be  willing  to  c/o  where  you  are  sent.  Neither  the 
Board  of  Missions  nor  the  mission  to  which  you  are 
going  will  be  likely  to  designate  you  to  a  post  where 
you  can  not  do  good  work  for  the  Master.  But  be 
willing  to  go  anywhere. 

Let  us  go  in  a  tractable  spirit,  ready  to  take  ad¬ 
vice  and  yield  to  the  voice  of  a  majority  of  our 
brethren.  Dr.  Rufus  Anderson,  of  the  American 
Board,  told  me  in  1857  that  a  young  man  once  came 
to  the  missionary  house  in  Boston  as  a  candidate 
for  the  foreign  mission  field.  Dr.  Anderson  invited 
him  to  walk  with  him  to  Roxburv  and  spend  the 
night  with  him,  as  he  was  accustomed  to  invite  new 
candidates  in  order  to  satisfy  himself  with  regard 
to  their  character.  As  they  were  walking,  the 
young  man  suddenly  said :  “I  prefer  to  walk  on 
the  right  side.”  Dr.  Anderson  at  once  yielded  the 
point,  and  soon  inquired:  “May  I  ask  why  you 
prefer  to  walk  on  the  right  side — are  you  deaf  in 
one  ear?”  “No,”  said  the  young  man;  “but  I  prefer 
to  walk  on  the  right  side,  and  I  always  will  walk  on 
the  right  side.”  That  young  man  was  not  sent 
abroad,  ft  was  evident  that  a  man  who  Avas  bent 
on  having  his  own  way  without  giving  reasons 
would  be  likely  to  make  mischief,  and  his  right  side 
Avould  be  pretty  sure  to  be  the  wrong  side. 

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Counsel  to  N  e  to  Missionaries 


Some  men  can  only  work  when  alone.  Let  ns  re¬ 
joice  to  work  with  others  and  yield  to  others.  One 
self-opinionated,  arbitrary,  wilful  man  may  bring 
disaster  upon  a  station.  The  majority  should  de¬ 
cide  every  question.  Intractable  men  make  trouble 
enough  at  home,  yet  in  a  Christian  land  they  more 
quickly  find  their  level  under  the  tide  of  public 
opinion ;  but  in  a  little  organized,  self-governing 
body  in  a  distant  corner  of  the  earth  such  men  work 
great  mischief. 

Let  us  also  be  ready  to  do  anything  in  our  power 
to  help  on  the  work — teach,  preach,  edit,  translate, 
travel,  build,  or  print. 

Let  us  go  forth  as  hopeful  laborers.  A  class  once 
graduated  in  Cambridge  consisting  of  three  men,  “a 
mystic,  a  skeptic,  and  a  dyspeptic.”  The  mission¬ 
ary  work  does  not  want  pessimists  who,  like  cuttle¬ 
fish,  darken  all  the  waters  around  them  with  inky 
blackness.  Mr.  Moody  said,  at  the  meeting  of  the 
American  Board  in  Madison,  Wis.,  in  1894 :  “Pes¬ 
simists  have  no  place  in  the  Christian  pulpit.  We 
want  hopeful  men.”  And  we  can  say  with  equal 
truth,  pessimists  have  no  place  in  the  foreign  mis¬ 
sionary  work.  We  want  hopeful  men  in  this  glori¬ 
ous  aggressive  warfare.  There  is  quite  enough  to 
weigh  you  down  without  carrying  lead  in  your  hat. 

Let  us  go  with  level-headed,  Christian  common 
sense.  Nothing  will  supply  the  want  of  this.  A 
misplaced  and  misnamed  “missionary”  in  India 
once  wrote  home  to  his  friends  that  he  could  get  on 
well  enough  but  for  these  miserable  natives,  who 
kept  crowding  into  his  house;  but  now  he  had  a 
bulldog  and  hoped  to  keep  them  off. 

A  missionary  once  sailed  for  the  East  from  an 
American  port.  He  had  packed  and  marked  all  his 

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Counsel  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


boxes,  and  shipped  them  in  advance  of  his  own  sail¬ 
ing.  When  half-way  to  his  field  he  was  attacked  by 
a  serious  illness,  which  obliged  him  to  return  to  his 
native  land.  As  his  boxes  contained  various  ar¬ 
ticles  for  missionaries  already  on  the  field,  he  wrote 
to  them  the  following  lucid  directions :  “Observe, 
when  you  open  the  boxes,  that  No.  1  contains  only 
my  goods;  No.  2,  my  goods  and  books  for  Mr.  — ; 
No.  3  is  all  for  Mr.  and  Mrs. — ;  No.  4  is  for  Mr. — 
and  Dr. — ,”  and  so  on  up  to  twenty  boxes.  Then  lie 
added  a  postscript  as  follows:  “The  boxes  are  not 
numbered.” 

Do  not  be  carried  away  by  visionary  dreamers. 
Use  wisdom,  patience,  and  good  sense  in  selecting  a 
sight  for  the  permanent  mission  station.  Avoid  low, 
malarial  spots  as  well  as  inaccessible  locations. 

A  few  vears  ago  a  medical  student  in  Toronto 
wrote  to  me,  inquiring  about  Jericho  as  a  proper 
site  for  a  medical  mission.  A  certain  Dr. - pro¬ 

posed  to  send  out  twenty-five  medical  missionaries 
to  Jericho,  promising  to  pay  their  expenses  and 
guarantee  them  an  income  from  the  natives  of  $25  a 
week  and  great  opportunities  for  doing  good.  The 
writer  said  that  his  father  doubted  the  soundness 
of  the  enterprise,  and  wished  my  opinion  of  the 
scheme.  I  wrote  him  somewhat  as  follows : 

“I  have  been  to  Jericho,  and  know  all  about  its 
surroundings. 

“Jericho  is  the  lowest  spot  on  the  earth’s  surface, 
geographically,  intellectually,  and  morally. 

“It  is  the  hottest  place,  being  one  thousand  three 
hundred  feet  below  the  sea-level,  and  uninhabitable 
for  white  men  six  months  in  the  year. 

“The  inhabitants  number  from  one  hundred  to 
two  hundred,  and  are  half-naked,  savage  Arabs,  who 

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Counsel  to  N  e w  M  i  s s i o  n  a  r i e  s 


make  a  living  by  highway  robbery  and  by  dancing 
around  the  tents  of  travelers  for  bakhshish. 

“The  inhabitants  north  of  them,  in  the  Jordan 
valley,  are  not  inferior  to  them  in  degradation  and 
thievery,  being  all  predatory  Bedouin. 

“The  inhabitants  of  Moab,  on  the  east,  and  the 
swampy  plain  south  of  the  Dead  Sea,  even  surpass 
other  Bedouin  in  poverty,  robbery,  and  wretched¬ 
ness. 

“As  to  the  proposed  doctors  supporting  them¬ 
selves  from  fees  from  the  people,  it  is  not  probable 
that  the  entire  population  of  Jericho  could  raise  $5 
in  cash  any  month  in  the  year. 

“It  is  usual  to  send  missionaries  to  places  where 
there  are  men,  not  to  a  howling  wilderness. 

“If  you  and  your  companions  come,  I  would  rec¬ 
omend  that  you  bring  pine  boards  enough  to  make 
coffins  for  all,  as  you  would  probably  all  die  within 
a  year,  and  not  a  foot  of  lumber  could  be  found 
within  ten  miles  of  Jericho.” 

Y.  I  would  emphasize  the  necessity  of  courtesy 
to  all.  The  Golden  Rule  is  the  key  to  all  true 
courtesy. 

Treat  the  people  as  you  wish  to  be  treated.  A 
Christian  is  the  highest  type  of  man,  and  should  be 
a  model  of  courtesy,  as  were  Christ  and  St.  Paul. 
If  you  don’t  know  what  the  people  think  is  cour¬ 
tesy  find  out  as  soon  as  you  can,  and  meantime  act 
out  the  law  of  kindness. 

YI.  In  learning  the  language,  learn  to  read, 
speak  and  write  it.  I  have  known  many  mission¬ 
aries  who  read  the  language  and  preach  in  it,  but 
who  could  not  write  a  letter  in  the  vernacular,  and 
had  always  to  employ  a  scribe  to  write  their  Arabic 
letters.  This  is  a  bondage  and  an  embarrassment, 

133 


C  o  u  n  s  el  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


which  von  should  avoid.  Be  sure  to  master  the  lan¬ 
guage,  or  it  will  master  you  and  enslave  you. 

Let  us  perfect  ourselves  in  the  native  languages, 
and  not  trust  to  an  interpreter  in  preaching.  Dr. 
Wolff  traveled  in  the  East  some  eighty  years  ago, 
and  on  reaching  Tripoli,  in  Syria,  he  employed  one 
Abdullah  Yanni  to  act  as  interpreter.  One  morn¬ 
ing  he  said:  “Abdullah,  I  am  going  to  the  bazars 
to  preach  to  the  Moslems.”  Abdullah  said :  “I  beg 
you  not  to  go,  for  they  will  mob  us.”  But  the  doc¬ 
tor  insisted,  and  Abdullah  himself  told  me  of  the 
incident  in  1858.  He  said: 

“We  walked  around  the  bazars,  and  Dr.  Wolff 
mounted  a  stone  platform  and  said :  ‘My  friends, 
I  have  come  to  preach  to  you  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 
He  that  believeth  shall  be  saved,  and  lie  that  be- 
lieveth  not  shall  be  condemned.’  I  translated  as 
follows:  ‘The  Khowaja  says  that  he  loves  you  very 
much,  and  that  the  English  and  the  Moslems  are 
fowa  sowa ’  (all  alike).  Whereupon  the  Moslems 
applauded,  and  Wolff  thought  he  had  made  a  deep 
impression. 

I  said  to  Abdullah :  “How  could  you  deceive  a 
good  man  in  that  way?”  He  'replied :  “What  could 
I  do?  Had  I  translated  literally  we  should  have 
been  killed;  and  Wolff  may  have  been  prepared  to 
die,  but  I  was  not.” 

VII.  Canon  Ball,  of  Calcutta,  in  a  recent  ad¬ 
dress  to  new  missionaries,  gave  some  excellent  ad¬ 
vice.  “A  young  missionary  should  not  be  nervous 
about  his  health.”  “Some  are  constantly  resorting 
to  their  medicine  chests  and  taking  their  tempera¬ 
ture.”  This  reminds  me  of  a  remark  of  the  famous 
Dr.  Betliune,  in  an  address  before  Yale  Phi  Beta 
Kappa  in  1849,  on  the  premature  death  of  literary 

134 


Counsel  to  N e w  M  i s s i o n a  vies 


men.  Tlie  world  says,  “Died  of  too  much  study 
the  truth  is  “Died  of  too  much  meat  and  too  little 
exercise.”  Prevention  is  better  than  cure.  Adapt 
your  diet  to  the  climate.  Beer  and  beef  have  cov¬ 
ered  India  with  British  graves. 

But  to  return  to  the  Canon  :  He  also  says  :  “By  all 
means,  secure  the  advice  of  an  experienced  mission¬ 
ary  in  your  first  meeting  with  native  Christians. 
Never  loan  money  to  natives,  nor  promise  to  aid  in 
the  education  of  their  children.  If  you  have  proof 
that  a  worthy  man  is  in  need,  give  him  help,  but 
never  loan  money.  Nor  should  you  keep  aloof  from 
the  people.  You  have  come  to  them,  and  are  to  live 
with  them  and  should  keep  near  to  them.  Yet,  be 
wise.  Outward  salaams  and  civility  on  the  part  of 
natives  do  not  necessarily  mean  profound  respect 
and  admiration  of  you.  The  old  native  pastor,  who 
salutes  you  so  gushingly,  may  be  thinking,  ‘Ah,  dur¬ 
ing  these  forty  years  I  have  seen  many  come  and  go, 
and  I  have  noticed  that  they  are  all  wise  in  some 
things  and  very  foolish  in  others,  and  I  suppose 
that  you  are  no  exception  to  the  rule.’ 

“Seek  advice  as  to  the  customs  and  etiquette  of 
the  people.  Never  gossip  with  your  language  teach¬ 
er  and  others  about  the  virtues  or  faults  of  your 
fellow  foreign  missionaries  or  their  families,  or 
about  the  native  workers,  unless  you  wish  your  re- 
marks  to  be  repeated  within  twenty-four  hours. 

VIII.  I  would  also  suggest  that  you  avoid  par¬ 
tiality  and  favoritism  in  dealing  with  the  people, 
whether  in  the  parish,  the  church  or  the  school. 
Treat  all  alike  with  uniform  kindness.  Some  are 
more  lovable  and  attractive  than  others,  but  do  not 
please  yourself,  for  “even  Christ  pleased  not  Him¬ 
self.’’  If  teaching  the  young,  you  will  be  sorely 

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Counsel  to  N e w  Missionaries 


tempted  to  show  partiality  to  the  bright,  docile  and 
studious.  But  keep  your  head  level.  You  belong 
to  them  all,  and  they,  all  alike,  have  a  right  to  your 
love  and  care. 

IX.  Why  should  a  missionary  ever  meddle  with 
the  local  politics  of  the  land  he  has  adopted?  It  is 
neither  wise  nor  safe  to  do  it.  You  enjoy  the  protec¬ 
tion  of  your  own  flag,  and  at  times  when  you  see  na- 
tives  oppressed  and  unable  to  secure  justice  you  are 
tempted  to  interfere  in  their  behalf.  But  it  is  not 
wise.  It  was  the  bane  of  the  mission  work  in 
Syria  in  the  early  years  of  the  mission,  that  the 
Syrians  thought  that  becoming  Protestants  would 
secure  them  English  or  American  consular  protec¬ 
tion.  Many  “false  brethren”  in  this  way  professed 
Protestantism,  expecting  the  missionary  or  foreign 
consul  to  defend  their  law  cases  right  or  wrong. 
This  misconception  is  now  passing  away.  It  should 
never  have  existed.  Let  the  local  civil  authorities 
understand  that  Protestant  Christians  are  as 
amendable  to  the  laws  as  others.  Above  all,  do 
not  attempt  to  browbeat  the  officials,  or  carry 
a  case  by  foreign  influence.  The  Jesuits  inter- 
fere  in  courts  and  intrigue  to  get  foreign  influ¬ 
ence  for  their  converts,  right  or  wrong.  Always 
pray  for  the  “Powers  that  be.”  Teach  the  people 
loyalty  to  their  sovereign.  Teach  them  to  speak  the 
truth  and  avoid  litigation  if  possible.  Local  of¬ 
ficials  often  stand  in  terror  of  foreigners  and  will 
pervert  justice  to  please  them.  But  never  use  your 
influence  or  prestige  simply  to  gain  power.  Let  the 
officials  know  you  are  a  man  of  peace,  and  of  in¬ 
flexible  integrity  and  respect  for  law. 

When  Christians  are  persecuted  or  defrauded 
you  feel  greatly  tempted  to  interfere.  If  you  are 

136 


Counsel  to  New  M i s s i o n a r i e s 


ever  obliged  to  do  so,  do  it  by  private  interviews 
with  the  local  official  and  in  the  most  re¬ 
spectful  manner,  and  show  confidence  in  his  sense 
of  justice  and  right.  But  never  use  threats  of  a 
foreign  flag  or  battleship.  Christ  lived  under  Cae¬ 
sar,  and  Paul  under  Nero,  and  yet  both  taught  obe¬ 
dience  to  Caesar.  Your  converts  can  hardly  have  a 
ruler  more  cruel  than  Nero.  Let  them  be  patient 
and  loyal,  and  you  should  be  their  example. 

X.  The  late  Rev.  Gerald  F.  Dale,  Jr.,  was  styled 
by  Dr.  Hodge  of  Princeton  “The  model  scholar,  the 
model  Christian  and  the  model  gentleman  of  Prince¬ 
ton.”  And  lie  won  his  way  to  the  hearts  of  the 
townsmen  and  peasantry  of  Syria  as  he  would  have 
done  to  the  polished  people  of  his  native  Philadel¬ 
phia.  Be  assured  that  no  gifts,  graces  or  talents 
are  superfluous  on  mission  fields. 

XI.  Be  careful  of  your  bodily  health.  You 
would  be  surprised  to  read  a  catalogue  of  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  who  have  broken  down  prematurely 
through  want  of  care  or  ignorance  of  the  laws  of 
health.  It  has  been  said  that  “the  best  thing  for 
the  inside  of  a  man  is  the  outside  of  a  horse.”  You 
must  take  proper  and  regular  exercise.  It  is  your 
duty  to  live  as  long  as  you  can.  Your  years  of  prep¬ 
aration,  outfit  and  initiation  into  the  field  have  been 
expensive  to  you  and  to  the  church.  Care  then  for 
your  health.  Do  not  get  into  a  rut  or  formal  rou¬ 
tine.  Vary  your  employments.  If  you  have  a 
mechanical  bent  get  carpenter’s  tools  and  use  them. 
If  you  are  fond  of  botany,  geology,  zoology  or  ento¬ 
mology,  develop  this  heaven-implanted  taste.  I 
have  traveled  hundreds  of  miles  on  horseback  in 
Syria,  through  dreary,  rocky  regions,  where  all 
sense  of  weariness  and  monotony  have  been  quite  re- 

137 


Counsel  to  'New  Missionaries 


moved  by  the  excitement  of  finding  new  geologi¬ 
cal  formations,  strange  distortions  of  the  strata, 
and  exquisite  fossil  fish,  shells  and  silicified  wood. 
You  will  see  new  plants  and  flowers,  strange  birds 
and  animals,  curious  land  snails,  and  grotesque 
and  brilliant  colored  fishes,  the  studv  and  collec- 
tion  of  which  will  refresh  your  mind,  give  pure  and 
wholesome  recreation  and  help  you  in  directing  the 
apathetic  minds  of  the  people  to  habits  of  observa¬ 
tion  and  of  admiration  of  the  wonderful  wisdom  of 
God.  The  time  given  to  such  things  is  not  lost. 
It  devotes  the  spare  intervals  of  travel  and  tedious 
itinerating  to  profitable,  inspiring  and  yet  restful 
mental  exercise.  Yet  it  goes  without  saving  that 
such  recreations  should  not  become  exacting  or  en- 
gross  too  much  of  one's  attention.  The  busiest 
men  usually  have  the  most  time  for  these  forms  of 
mental  diversion.  They  act  on  system  and  have  no 
waste  hours.  Whatever  kind  of  oil  you  burn,  do 
not  burn  midnight  oil.  Rise  early  and  retire  early. 

XII.  As  to  personal  comforts,  avail  yourself  of 
such  as  will  relieve  your  mind  of  anxiety,  and  set 
you  free  for  higher  matters.  Many  years  ago  Dr. 
R.  Anderson  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  visited  Syria. 
He  told  the  brethren  one  day  that  good  Christians 
in  New  England  disapproved  of  missionaries  keep¬ 
ing  horses,  and  said  he,  “I  think  you  had  better 
make  your  tours  on  foot.”  They  acquiesced,  and 
the  next  day  proposed  a  trip  to  a  mountain  station 
some  nine  miles  off.  They  all  set  off  boldly  on  foot, 
but  after  climbing  rocky  stone  ledges  and  down  diz¬ 
zy  precipices,  the  Syrian  sun  pouring  down  upon 
their  heads,  they  sat  down  to  rest.  They  then  set 
out  again  over  even  a  harder  part  of  the  road.  Dr. 
Anderson  was  about  exhausted,  and  at  length  said, 

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Counsel  to  N  e  tv  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


“Brethren,  I  should  say  on  the  whole  that  for  such 
a  journey  as  this  you  would  be  justified  in  riding 
horses.”  They  said,  “Exactly  so,  and  we  thought 
of  it  before  we  started,  and  we  shall  find  horses 
awaiting  our  whole  party  just  around  the  next 
turn  in  the  road.”  The  result  was  that  the  Ameri¬ 
can  Board  after  that  time  required  Syrian  mission¬ 
aries  to  own  horses  and  use  them.  The  missionary 
had  to  buy  his  own  horse,  but  the  Board  supplied 
the  barley  to  feed  him. 

In  February,  1856,  just  after  my  arrival  in  Sy¬ 
ria,  Dr.  Eli  Smith  invited  me  to  lunch  and  imme¬ 
diately  after,  asked  me  if  I  would  like  to  take  a 
walk.  I  gladly  accepted,  and  we  set  out,  I  on  foot, 
but  he  on  horseback.  We  soon  entered  on  the  great 
sand  dunes  west  of  Beirut  and  I  went  wading  and 
struggling  through  the  light,  deep,  drifting  sands 
about  a  mile  to  the  Pigeon  Islands  on  the  point,  and 
then  south  another  mile  through  still  deeper  sands 
to  the  sea  beach,  and  then  up  again  over  sand  hills, 
in  the  hot  sun,  and  I  reached  home  after  nearly  two 
hours,  drenched  with  perspiration  and  ready  to  give 
up,  exhausted.  As  we  neared  home  Dr.  Smith  told 
me  the  above  anecdote  of  Dr.  Anderson’s  visit,  and 
said,  “You  see  that  walking  in  Syria  is  not  so  easy 
as  it  seems.” 

I  have  known  some  men  to  come  to  Syria  deter¬ 
mined  to  “endure  hardness,”  by  walking  unpro¬ 
tected  in  the  sun,  but  the  hardness  was  of  their  own 
making,  and  they  succumbed  to  it  and  died.  Such  a 
death  is  suicide,  not  martyrdom. 

XIII.  It  is  well  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  home 
churches.  Write  down  your  first  impressions  and 
send  them  to  your  own  pastor  and  church  at  home. 
After  all  their  interest,  help  and  prayers  it  is  but 

139 


Counsel  to  New  Missionaries 


the  part  of  simple  good  manners,  not  to  say  Chris¬ 
tian  wisdom  and  filial  gratitude,  to  keep  them  in¬ 
formed  of  your  welfare  and  the  progress  of  your 
work.  While  you  are  studying  the  language  and 
not  yet  able  to  do  much,  you  can  write  of  what  oth¬ 
ers  have  done,  and  what  needs  to  be  done.  Some 
one  has  said  that  every  educated  man  must  sooner 
or  later  write  a  book.  Alas  that  it  should  be  so! 
But  if  you  do  write  a  book  wait  until  you  have 
been  at  least  eight  or  ten  years  in  the  service,  and 
then  be  sure  that  you  have  something  to  say  that  is 
worth  saying. 

XIV.  Music  is  a  power  for  good  in  this  blessed 
work.  If  vou  are  fond  of  vocal  or  instrumental 
music,  you  have  a  gift  which  ought  to  be  used  with 
great  effect.  If  the  people  find  it  difficult  to  learn 
our  Western  music,  then  learn  their  tunes,  and 
adapt  them  to  Christian  hymns.  I  have  suffered 
great  aesthetic  torture  in  hearing  an  unmusical 
teacher  lead  a  congregation  of  sturdy  peasants  in 
singing  “Ortonville.”  But  having  asked  them  to 
sing  the  next  hymn  to  a  Syrian  air,  have  been  sim¬ 
ply  delighted  to  hear  the  whole  crowd,  old  and 
young,  and  little  children,  almost  raise  the  roof, 
singing  with  the  greatest  zeal  and  accuracy,  one  of 
their  favorite  Syrian  airs.  I  heard  a  missionary 
say  in  185G  that  “the  stately  Arabic  could  not  be 
brought  down  to  the  level  of  a  Sunday  School 
hymn.”  But  it  has  been  brought  down,  and  is  still 
pure  Arabic,  and  thousands  of  children  are  singing 
children’s  hymns  in  Arabic  all  over  the  land. 

XV.  As  to  Bible  study,  and  your  own  spiritual 
life — the  two  go  together.  You  must  know  the 
Bible,  digest  it  and  assimilate  it.  Study  it  to  use  in 
preaching,  but  study  it  more  to  use  in  practising  in 

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C  o  u  n  $  e  l  to  N  e  tv  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


your  own  life  and  experience.  Yon  will  have  to 
study  the  Scriptures  in  a  new  language,  and  this 
will  be  a  great  advantage.  Old  truths  will  appear 
in  new  lights;  familiar  texts  will  have  new  mean¬ 
ing  when  rendered  in  the  idioms  of  another  tongue. 
But  this  must  be  done  systematically.  This  last 
summer,  when  teaching  theology  every  forenoon  in 
a  Lebanon  village,  half  an  hour  distant,  1  have 
risen  wiui  the  sun  every  morning  and  taking  a  cup 
of  coffee,  spent  two  hours  in  Bible  study  and  class 
room  preparation  before  the  family  breakfast.  And 
how  sweet  and  refreshing  these  quiet  morning 
hours  when  one  can  commune  with  God  and  have 
retirement  for  Bible  reading  and  prayer  before  the 
active  duties  of  the  day  begin!  Saturate  your  mind 
and  thoughts  with  the  Bible.  Commit  to  memory 
all  the  choice  gospel  texts  and  passages  in  the  lan¬ 
guage  of  the  people,  and  thus  arm  yourself  with  the 
panoply  of  God’s  truth  at  the  very  outset.  Re¬ 
member  that  your  office  and  work  will  not  sanctifv 
you.  They  may  blind  your  eyes  and  even  hinder 
your  spiritual  growth  by  leading  you  to  neglect 
Bible  study  and  prayer.  Remember  the  devil.  He 
will  gladly  assure  you  that  a  missionary  is  all  right. 
Perhaps  he  has  stirred  up  your  admiring  friends 
and  relatives  to  flatter  you  for  your  great  piety  and 
self-devotion  in  going  abroad  and  you  fall  into  spir¬ 
itual  self-satisfaction  and  sloth. 

Dr.  Post  of  the  Beirut  College  once  asked  a  stone¬ 
mason,  if,  in  taking  a  contract  for  erecting  a  stone 
building,  he  would  agree  to  lay  up  the  walls  for  so 
much  a  square  yard;  he,  the  mason,  to  furnish  la¬ 
bor,  stone,  sand  and  lime?  He  replied:  “All  but 
the  lime.  You  must  furnish  that  or  the  full  quantity 
may  not  get  into  the  mortar.”  The  Doctor  asked : 

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Counsel  to  New  M  i  s  si o n a r i e s 


“Wliy?  Are  you  not  honest?”  “Yes,”  said  lie,  “I’m 
honest,  but  then — Subhan  Allah,  es  Shaitan  mow- 
jood!”  (Praise  to  God,  there  is  a  devil !)  And  it  will 
not  do  to  imagine  that  this  roaring  lion  has  lost 
either  his  teeth  or  his  claws  or  his  brains ! 

Your  success  as  missionaries  will  depend  on  your 
likeness  to  Christ.  A  Christlike  character  is  always 
lovable.  Heathen,  Mohammedans,  and  other  non- 
Christian  people  know  the  difference  between  a 
Christlike  man  and  a  selfish,  haughty,  unsympathiz¬ 
ing  man.  If  men  love  the  messenger,  they 
will  learn  to  love  the  message.  If  a  herald  of  the 
truth  wishes  to  win  men’s  minds,  let  him  first  win 
their  hearts.  The  logic  of  controversial  argument 
never  convinced  men  half  so  much  as  the  godly 
lives  of  Christian  believers. 

Kev.  Simeon  Howard  Calhoun,  for  thirty  years  a 
missionary  in  Mount  Lebanon,  Syria,  was  called 
“The  Saint  of  Lebanon.”  He  gained  such  an  in¬ 
fluence  over  the  warlike  and  haughty  Druzes  that, 
had  he  died  in  Syria,  they  would  no  doubt  have 
made  his  grave  a  holy  shrine  of  pilgrimage.  In 
April,  1860,  I  was  in  his  house  when  the  dreadful 
war  of  that  massacre  summer  began  between 
Druzes  and  Moslems  on  the  one  side  and  Christians 
on  the  other.  We  had  entered  the  church  on  Sun¬ 
day  morning,  and  I  was  reading  the  hymn,  “My 
Faith  Looks  Up  to  Thee,”  in  Arabic,  when  a  Druze 
shot  a  Christian  in  the  street  near  by,  and  in  a  mo¬ 
ment  every  person  had  left  the  church.  The  men  of 
the  village,  Maronites,  Greeks,  Catholics,  and  Prot¬ 
estants,  ran  for  their  lives  down  over  the  cliffs  and 
mountains  six  miles  to  the  seashore,  and  then  on  to 
Beirut.  Their  wives  ran  home,  and  in  a  few  min¬ 
utes  came  in  crowds  to  Mr.  Calhoun’s  house,  bring- 

142 


0  o  11  n  set  to  N  e  w  31  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


ing  their  jewels  and  money;  these  they  threw  in 
bundles  inside  the  door  without  marks  or  labels, 
nor  even  asking  for  receipts.  Three  months  later, 
after  fifteen  thousand  Christians  had  been  mas¬ 
sacred  in  Damascus,  Deir  el  Komr,  Hasbeiya,  and 
other  towns,  a  French  army  came  to  Syria  and 
marched  into  Lebanon.  Then  the  Druzes  in  turn 
were  terrified,  and  they  also  came  in  crowds  to  Mr. 
Calhoun’s  house,  bringing  their  money  and  val¬ 
uables  to  Mrs.  Calhoun. 

Last  August,  at  the  funeral  of  the  Rev.  William 
Bird,  long  the  colleague  missionary  of  Mr.  Cal¬ 
houn,  the  Druze  begs  and  sheiks  came  in  large  num¬ 
bers  to  attend  the  services  in  the  church  of  Abeili. 
At  the  close,  the  leading  Druze  beg  addressed  the 
missionaries  present,  as  follows: 

“Sirs,  Mr.  Calhoun  and  Mr.  Bird  were  our  broth¬ 
ers  and  friends.  They  loved  ns,  and  we  loved 
them.  On  behalf  of  the  whole  people  of  Lebanon, 
we  entreat  you  to  allow  Mrs.  Bird  and  her  daughter 
Emily  to  remain  here  among  ns,  for  we  need  them, 
and  Abeili  would  be  orphaned  without  them.” 

Among  the  Druzes  was  one  haughty  warrior,  Ali 
Beg  Hamady,  who  took  a  regiment  of  rough-riders 
to  the  Crimean  War  in  1854.  At  the  massacre  of 
Deir  el  Komr,  in  June,  1860,  when  two  thousand 
two  hundred  unarmed  men  were  hewn  in  pieces,  the 
house  of  Mr.  Bird  was  spared,  and  a  Druze  guard 
was  placed  at  the  door.  He  had  left  two  days  be¬ 
fore  by  order  of  the  United  States  Consul,  and  thir¬ 
ty  Protestant  men  had  tied  there  for  refuge.  The 
next,  day  the  Druze  begs  of  Abeili,  nine  miles  away, 
took  Mr.  Calhoun  and  Mr.  Bird  to  Deir  el  Komr  to 
bring  away  these  imprisoned  Protestants.  This 


143 


Counsel  to  New  M  i  s  s  i  o  n  a  r  i  e  s 


they  effected  by  the  help  of  Ali  Beg,  climbing  over 
piles  of  dead  bodies  to  reach  the  door. 

Twenty-five  years  later,  in  1885,  I  called  on  Ali 
Beg  in  Baaklin.  He  was  a  tall,  stately  man,  with  a 
white  turban,  a  long  beard,  and  flowing  robes.  He 
received  us  with  that  beautiful  courtesy  for  which 
the  Druzes  are  so  famous,  and  asked:  “Do  you 
know  why  Mr.  Bird's  house  was  not  attacked  dur¬ 
ing  the  massacre  of  I860?  It  was  because  of  the 
character  of  Mr.  Calhoun  and  Mr.  Bird  that  I  saved 
that  house.” 

Years  afterward  a  Druze  called  at  my  house  in 
Beirut  one  day  before  sunset.  He  brought  a  mes¬ 
sage  from  Ali  Beg,  who  was  ill  and  wished  to  see 
me,  and  requested  me  to  bring  the  New  Testament. 
I  hastened  to  the  house,  and  found  him  lying  on  a 
bed  on  the  floor,  and  bolstered  up  with  cushions. 
Fixing  his  piercing  eagle  eyes  on  me,  he  said :  “I 
am  a  dying  man.  I  honored  and  loved  Mr.  Collioun 
and  he  loved  the  Injil  (New  Testament).  Read  to 
me  the  passages  he  loved.”  I  read  the  sweetest  of 
the  gospel  invitations  and  promises.  He  listened 
like  one  hungering  and  thirsting.  “Read  more  and 
more.  Is  there  pardon  for  a  great,  a  mighty  sinner 
like  me?” 

I  was  deeply  affected,  and  asked  him  to  pray  to 
Christ  for  pardon  and  salvation.  He  repeated  the 
prayer  after  me.  After  a  long  interview,  I  left  the 
New  Testament  with  him.  The  next  morning,  as  I 
started  to  call  on  him  again,  I  met  his  funeral  pro¬ 
cession  in  the  street.  Mr.  Calhoun  has  been  dead 
for  nearly  fifteen  years,  but  I  doubt  not  he  wel¬ 
comed  to  glory  this  aged  man  of  war  and  blood,  ran¬ 
somed  through  their  common  Savior,  Jesus  Christ. 
The  whole  history  of  missions  is  full  of  instances 

144 


9 


Counsel  to  'New  Missionaries 

of  the  melting  and  molding  influence  of  a  Christ- 
like  life. 

In  conclusion,  live  as  you  pray.  You  may  live 
among  coarse,  half-naked  barbarians,  and  you 
shrink  from  the  thought  of  contact  with  them.  In 
1853  or  1854  I  heard  the  sainted  Dr.  Goodell  of 
Constantinople  deliver  the  charge  to  a  young  mis¬ 
sionary  going  to  the  Gaboon  mission,  West  Africa. 
He  said:  “When  you  land  in  Africa  and  first  meet 
those  naked  savages  whose  filth  and  repulsive  hab¬ 
its  fill  you  with  utter  loathing,  and  you  say  within 
yourself,  Lord,  is  it  necessary  that  I  bear  even  this ; 
that  I  spend  my  life  among  such  beastly  and  irn- 
bruted  creatures?  then  remember ,  that  you  every 
day  ask  the  pure  and  ineffable  Holy  Spirit  of  the 
Eternal  God  to  whom  the  thought  of  sin  is  abhor¬ 
rent,  to  come  down,  not  simply  to  visit,  but  to  abide 
in  your  sinful,  polluted  heart.  Let  this  make  you 
humble,  patient,  loving  and  contented.” 


Form  618 


145 


